Wrecked with Bella
by jkazzie
Summary: Following an attack by modern day pirates, the Cullen's and Bella find themselves ship wrecked on a desert island in the pacific ocean. Join them as they salvage their boat, explore the island and build a new life. Alone. Rated M. Canon pairings. AH
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: This is a bit of a dribble fiction which I'm writing whilst whiling away the hot summer days on Magnetic Island in Queensland's tropical north. I don't know how long it will last or where it's going. Also anything goes in terms of how the characters manage their time while shipwrecked on a Pacific desert island including their miraculous building, engineering and farming/food gathering skills. Think Swiss Family Robinson meets Gilligan's Island! All human and mainly from Edward's POV but I might throw in a few other POVs from time to time.

...

Chapter 1 – Pirates

We'd been adrift on this fucking boat for seven days now, ever since we were invaded by pirates while sailing the pacific islands. We'd left Hawaii fourteen days ago on what should have been a ten day cruise. My entire family, their significant others, and a plus one were on this luxury schooner that I'd bought just six months ago and I would do fucking everything in my power to make sure we made it to land – any fucking land – before the love of my life took us all to a watery grave.

Oh, didn't I mention the fucking huge hole in the hull that was taking on water quicker than the bilge pumps could suck it out?

We'd hit a reef three days ago thanks to the tropical storm system that'd tossed the Victory – that's the name of my boat – around like she was a kiddies toy in a paddle pool being pounded on by a giant toddler with squeals of glee.

The Victory was listing badly and the main mast was broken and useless. The engine was fried having been shot up by the pirates who'd robbed us blind. They came up beside us during the night while my family was sleeping. I was sailing the Victory alone, completely lost in my thoughts, and fantasizing about the plus one chick asleep downstairs who was Alice's - my brother Jasper's wife - new best friend and the hottest babe I'd ever seen.

I'd been trying to tap that beauty without success for months now – ever since I'd met her at my Mom's annual Labor Day luau at the family home on the Hawaiian island of Oahu – but she wouldn't have anything to do with me because she'd had a boyfriend at the time. She'd came on the cruise because the boyfriend – Mike I think his name was – cheated on her and Alice decided Bella needed time away to regroup and decide what she was going to do about their shared residence and possessions.

Her name was Isabella – Bella for short.

I preferred Isabella.

Before I realized what was happening, pirates had boarded the Victory from the rear, over the stern, and sneaked forward into the pilot house. I was palming myself through my shorts with my eyes closed when one of the bastards cocked a handgun and pointed it at my head.

Little Eddie took a nosedive and didn't recover.

"Just do as you're told, Mate and nobody needs to die," said the fucker with an Australian accent. He pushed the barrel of the gun against my head.

"Get up. Slowly," he ordered as he backed away slightly.

His arm holding the gun remained fully extended. I looked at the firearm from my peripheral vision. It was a Glock17 – a military piece. Fuck! I thought about reaching for my own Glock, which was tucked beneath my captains seat and my fingers twitched involuntarily in that direction.

"Don't even think about it, Mate. Now, stand the fuck up!" ordered the pirate.

My hand fell away from my lap as I stood up slowly and turned to face the motherfucker who was planning to steal my boat at best, or kill us all at worst, and then throw our bodies overboard to be eaten by sharks.

"How many other people are on board?"

I ground my teeth and refused to answer but the pirate nudged my temple with his gun.

"Seven others," I answered reluctantly.

"Where are they?"

"Asleep, below deck." I wondered whether I could somehow signal my brothers and my father that something bad was going down, but I couldn't think of how to do it without getting somebody killed.

The pirate stepped back and motioned to the pilot house door with his other hand. "Get going," he snarled.

I edged passed him and walked slowly across the deck to the stairs that led below.

"How many cabins are there?"

"Six."

"And how many of them are currently occupied, Red?"

A nerve ticked in my cheek and I clenched my fists. I hated being called Red! It was the one nickname that was guaranteed to piss me off big time.

"HOW. FUCKING. MANY?" the pirate hissed again when I didn't respond.

"Five, including mine!" I snarled as I turned my head to gaze at him with hatred in my eyes.

I saw the arm holding the Glock rise up too late for me evade the pistol whipping and I felt the butt of the gun slam into the back of my head. I staggered and I'm positive I saw stars but I managed not to collapse at the bastards feet. I felt nausea roil through my gut and into my throat, but I forced it down.

"Next time, Red, I won't just hit you; I'll fucking shoot you. Just answer my questions and save the bullshit. Do we understand each other, Red?"

"Yes," I moaned.

"Get going and walk slowly downstairs."

I did as he instructed.

The pirate looked into the open doorways to the lounge, the dining room and the kitchen as we passed.

"Wake everyone up real carefully, Red. I don't want there to be any heroes or I'm gunna start shooting. Do ya understand me?"

I nodded and knocked reluctantly on the door to my parents cabin. It was answered by my father, dressed in a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt, who had been lying in bed reading a medical journal, which was still in his hand.

He stared wide-eyed at the fucker holding a gun to my temple and he gasped, all of the blood draining from his face.

"Wake up the little woman, Pops, and walk nice and slowly into the lounge or I'm gunna blow this dickhead's brains out," he threatened, nudging the gun at my temple. Blood was running down the side of my neck from the pistol whipping wound to the back of my head, and Dad took note of it.

"I'm okay," I whispered hoarsely, "Just do as he says, Dad."

"That's right, Dad, just do as I say and nobody gets hurt," said the pirate.

My Dad nodded and turned away slowly to wake Mom. She cried out when she saw me being held hostage by the pirate, but Dad shushed her and led her into the lounge. Thank God she was dressed in a pair of summer silk pajamas and wasn't naked. My Mom and Dad enjoyed a frequent and active sex life (I should be so fucking lucky!) and as much as their three adult sons didn't want to know about it, we unfortunately couldn't escape from it whenever we were at the family home or on the Victory together.

My parents weren't shy. Not at all.

"Oi! Larry, come 'ere and guard the prisoners in the lounge while Red and I wake up the rest of them," said the pirate holding me hostage.

I hadn't noticed the tall, tanned man with long brown dreadlocks standing at the top of the stairs. He came down with an automatic weapon clutched in his hands.

"Yeah, Jimmy. Which room's the lounge?" he asked with a thick Aussie accent.

"The one with the _fucking_ prisoners in it!" he hissed at the hapless Larry. "Get on the door and shoot anybody who even looks at you wrong. We'll be along with the rest of the prisoners in a minute. Where's Vivi?"

"She's in the pilot house removing the electronics."

"Good. The sooner we're done here, the sooner we can be on our way and leave these Yanks to their cruise."

I breathed a sigh of relief that they didn't plan on killing us. I watched my dad comfort my weeping mom as they sat on one of the sofas in the lounge. She was pretty good in bad situations, but she couldn't cope when her family was threatened.

"Get going," ordered the pirate called Jimmy who had dirty blond hair tied back low on his head in a ponytail. "Wake the rest of them up like you did your parents and make sure they know that _I will_ shoot and I don't much care who I hit," he sneered.

I systematically knocked on the next two doors, waking the occupants, and led my brothers, Emmett and Jasper and their wives, Rosalie and Alice back to the lounge. Emmett wanted to lunge at the pirate and he may have just been able to disable him because my brother was the size of a grizzly bear, but I shook my head at him and held my index finger to my lips, telling them all to remain silent.

"One more person to find, Red. Where are they?" said the pirate with an evil smirk.

"It's the last door on the right," I said.

It was Bella's cabin. I gulped silently and led the way down the passage to her door, knocking quietly. There was no response.

"Open it, Red."

I turned the door knob, but it was locked.

"It's locked," I said.

"Easily taken care of," he said with a smirk as he pointed the Glock at the door and fired. The door knob along with half of the door was blown away and I heard the women screaming hysterically from the lounge. My brothers and Dad were yelling my name frantically and hammering on the walls.

"I'm okay!" I yelled.

Jimmy yelled down the passageway, "You Yanks shut the fuck up in there or I'm gunna tell Larry to start shootin'!"

My family ceased their screaming, yelling and pounding and I wiped the sweat, born of fear and nerves from my brow in relief.

"Get in there and get the occupant. And no mucking around, do ya understand me?"

"Yes."

I pushed open the shattered door. Bella wasn't in the bed, but a lamp on the bedside table was lit so I knew she was probably awake when the prick fired at the door. I couldn't see any blood so I prayed she hadn't been hurt.

"Bella?"

I heard a whimper.

"Bella, where are you?"

"I'm in here," she squeaked from the bathroom.

I walked through the open door and found Bella crouching in the tiny shower stall. She was shaking and tears were streaming down her face which was covered in some kind of dried, greenish colored mud. Her hair was secured under a towel, presumably to keep the mud from dirtying her hair. I'd never been so relieved that women sometimes picked the strangest times to perform beauty treatments because it meant she hadn't been in the line of fire. She was dressed in a pair of navy cotton sleep pants and a baggy gray t-shirt. She looked a bit like a tiny, dirty rag-a-muffin rather than the brunette, brown-eyed beauty that she was.

"Come out of there, Bella, we need to get you to the lounge."

"Uh, uh," she mumbled, shaking her head.

"What the fuck's taking so long, Red. Get out here, NOW!"

"_Come on_, Bella," I hissed at her.

She shook her head again. I swore under my breath and reached into the shower stall and picked her up, carrying her in my arms bridal style. She wasn't heavy by any means, but my head was thumping, so I staggered under her weight. I took a few moments to steady myself before I walked into the cabin bedroom.

"Well, hello there. Who's the sheila?" asked the pirate with a lascivious smirk.

Bella buried her face against my chest and I held her more tightly. I didn't say anything. The pirate reached out with his free hand and stroked his thick fingers down Bella's mud covered cheek which unfortunately did nothing to hide the high cheekbones and heart shaped jawline below.

She cringed.

"Don't be like that, Sweetheart. I'm just tryin' to be friendly," Jimmy cajoled.

Bella looked at him warily.

"What's your name?"

"B...Bella," she stuttered out in a whisper.

"Well, B...Bella, my name's Jimmy. How'd you like to come with me onto my boat and we can have a little fun?"

"Ahhhh," Bella squeaked out in fear as she shook her head, no.

"How old are you, Sweetheart?" asked the pirate as he gazed upon Bella with lust in his eyes.

"She's fourteen," I lied, hopping that the pirate was decent enough not to play around with minors.

I was right. The pirate scowled. I heaved a silent sigh of relief.

"Get her into the lounge with the others," sneered Jimmy.

I carried Bella into the lounge and put her on the sofa between my mother and Alice, squeezing her hand reassuringly as I stepped back.

"Alright. You Yanks stay here and keep quiet while we help ourselves to your belongings, and nobody gets hurt. Does anybody not understand?" asked Jimmy sarcastically.

"Good!" he said when he was met with silence.

"Lock the door Larry and guard it. If you hear any sound from within that might indicate these good people are trying to escape through a window or break down the door, then shoot."

"Sure, Jimmy," agreed Larry with an eager cackle.

The pirates (Jimmy and Vivi) ransacked the boat for nearly two hours, taking anything of value they could remove easily. We heard repeated gunshots at one point followed by a loud cracking sound and a small explosion, but I wasn't worried about fire when I heard the automatic fire extinguisher activate. A large motorboat sped away from the Victory at around 1 o'clock in the morning. We waited about an hour before we were sure we were alone, and then Emmett busted through the door with his massive body.

The pirates had taken all of the satellite equipment, including the dish. The CB radio as well as the GPS, radar and sonar equipment I had on board was also gone, along with all of the scuba gear and most of the spear fishing equipment and the rods.

I realized when I got up on deck that the loud crack we'd heard was the sound of the main mast breaking as they shot at it. It lay at a drunken, dangerous angle over the boat like a broken tree that had been hit by lightning. The boats motor was fried, riddled with bullet holes and steaming under it's thick blanket of fire retardant foam.

They'd ransacked our cabins and taken all of our money and all items of value such as jewelery, but thankfully the girls hadn't brought much with them on this cruise, and the pirates seem to have forgotten that Mom, Alice and Rosalie were wearing their engagement and wedding rings, which collectively were worth a small fortune.

The Victory was deaf and blind and virtually paralyzed in the middle of the largest ocean in the world with no way to move other than what the ocean currents and my maneuvering of the rudder would allow.

We were fortunate that the pirates hadn't taken our food or our water, and the desalinator and a generator were still safely tucked away in the mechanical room where I'd been working on them earlier that day. All of my tools were still there as well. I don't know why they missed searching that room, but I could only be grateful they'd left us with some way of surviving until we drifted near land or were found by a ship.

Three days later a fucking hurricane formed right over the top of us dumping thousands of gallons of rain and sea water over the Victory. The mast snapped completely in the howling winds smashing a jagged hole in the deck, which allowed the rain and sea water to pour into the accommodation area. When the battering waves dumped us onto a reef, the screeching, tearing sound of the hull ripping could be heard over the howling of the wind.

We began to take on sea water quickly. Emmett and I ran to get the bilge pump working – we'd hooked it up to the generator as soon as daylight came after we were pirated – and it hadn't been turned off since.

The only good thing to come out of hitting the reef was the certain knowledge that we were in shallower water, and shallower water in combination with a reef meant that we were close to land. We all kept a close watch for two days since the storm passed as I tried to steer the Victory in the direction I thought the land laid, but there was no sight of it yet. The girls were getting disheartened and the listing of the boat was making us all sea-sick.

We needed to find land soon or I was afraid we wouldn't survive.

Another night descended dashing any hope of being rescued for another day.

Fuck it all. Fuck!

...

A/N: Review, review please.

Some photos are on my blog and the link is on my profile page.

In case you didn't figure it out, Jimmy is James; Larry is Laurent and Vivi is Victoria, but we didn't meet her.

'Oi' is Aussie and British slang, which roughly translated means 'hey or hey there' and is said (usually yelled) to get somebody's attention. It is pronounced like 'oil' but drop the 'l'.

Sheila is Aussie slang for a female.

Gunna is the Aussie version of 'gonna' meaning "going to'.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

Chapter 2 - Land

It was fucking hot below deck without the air-conditioning. Dad and I were trying to repair the electric bilge pump which had shit itself during the night. The space we were working in was tight and airless and the light from the torch we worked with was less than adequate. Sweat poured off of the both of us, soaking our pants from the waist to the knees. We'd long since discarded our shirts in an effort to keep cooler. Our hair was dripping sweat down our faces, and over our chest, back and arms making our hands slippery and uncooperative.

Rosalie who was the least sick of the girls, was in the pilot house operating the wheel and keeping a lookout for other boats or land while her husband Emmett was on the opposite side of the hull with Jasper operating the manual pumps to keep us from sinking. Mom, Alice and Bella were as sick as dogs and were asleep in the lounge, sprawled out on the sofas.

Emmett had fashioned some chocks using upturned cooking pots to prop up one side of the sofas so the girls were more or less lying on an even surface and Dad had been pouring cold-steeped ginger or peppermint tea down their throats in an effort to keep the sickness at bay. He could have fed them sea sickness medication but he was rationing all of the drugs on board because he didn't know how long we might be out here.

Alone.

Dad grunted and swiped at his sweaty forehead. "Try it now, Edward," he panted out.

I turned the start button to the 'on' position and waited for the pump to ignite.

Nothing. I smashed my fist against the hull.

"Fuck it!"

"Take it easy, Edward. You won't do yourself or anybody else any favors by breaking your hand," Dad cautioned.

I blew out a frustrated breath. "I'll try the auto position and lift the float manually. Hopefully that will start the pump," I told Dad.

Less than twenty seconds later, the bilge pump gasped into life. It spluttered unhappily at first making Dad and I hold our breath in anticipation.

"Come on, come on," prayed Dad.

The pump whined and spluttered some more, and then roared into life.

"Amen!" I said as the pump burped, then spurted sea water through the hose casing and outside the boat.

I yelled to Jasper and Emmett. "You can take a break, we've got the electric pump working!"

"Thank Christ," moaned Jasper as he collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily. Emmett leaned against the side of the hull holding his sides as he tried to catch his own breath.

"Let's get on deck," said Dad as all three of us followed him to the ladder that would take us through a hatch and into the fresh air. There was a bit of a breeze that immediately cooled the sweat covering our bodies.

Emmett and Jasper dived overboard into the clear water in an attempt to cool down. I threw them each a life ring attached to a rope that was tied to the side of the boat and toed off my own deck shoes to follow them in. Dad was right behind me.

We'd been splashing around for a few minutes when I looked up and saw Bella leaning over the side of Victory, spewing her guts out. The vomit and bile was clinging to her long hair as she gagged and retched. She sagged over the railing, white-faced and miserable and I was about to call out to her to be careful when she flopped like a rag-doll over the side of the boat. She belly landed into the water, sinking like a stone and I realized that she'd passed out.

"Oh, fucking hell," I groaned as I took a few deep breaths and prepared to dive under the water to retrieve her before she drowned.

"Dad, bring a life ring. Bella's overboard," I yelled just before I disappeared under the water. I looked around, but I couldn't find her.

Shit! Where the fuck did she go?

I searched frantically but I couldn't see her in the crystal clear water and then I spotted her hair floating around her face and upper body like a halo. She was under the fucking boat! My lungs were burning, crying out for fresh oxygen, so I shot to the surface for a few more deep breaths and then dived down again to get her, grabbing holding of one of her hands.

Her eyes were open but lifeless.

My heart stopped beating, fearing that she'd drowned before I could get to her. I kicked hard toward the surface, towing Bella's body behind me and broke through the waves, gasping for air. I pulled her motionless body toward me, holding her back to my chest and slipped my arms under her armpits so I could keep her head out of the water.

"Dad! I don't think Bella's breathing!" I yelled, looking around for him.

"I'm here, Edward," Dad said from behind me. "Slip the ring over her head and under her arms," he directed me as he tread water and cleared her throat, preparing to perform mouth to mouth resuscitation. He breath into Bella's open mouth a few times until she sputtered and coughed up the water that was saturating her lungs.

Dad checked her pupils and the pulse in her neck and told me to get her back on board so he could check her over further. I knew he would be worried about post-drowning complications that could affect the lungs. I kept her head out of the water and transferred her into Emmett's capable hands while I climbed the ladder and prepared to pull her body up.

She was a dead weight. Unconscious people usually are, and this little beauty was no different.

I pulled her body over the railing and fell backwards onto the hard wooden deck, Bella landing on top of me, breast to chest, and as she did so, she spewed up a stomach full of sea water all over my face.

Eww! I closed my eyes and mouth just in time to avoid the worst of it, but I couldn't prevent the acidic brine from flooding my nostrils and running down the back of my throat. The awful sensation gave a whole new meaning to the experience, 'sharing of bodily fluids!' and it wasn't one I ever cared to repeat. I coughed and sneezed violently, and as I did so, Bella moaned and rolled off of me.

"I'm sorry," she croaked, spreadeagled upon the deck.

"So am I," I gasped and gagged, turning my head to the side so I could spit the taste of Bella's vomit from my mouth. Yuk!

"Are you alright, Edward?" asked my dad as he reached our side. Jasper and Emmett were just climbing over the railing.

"Yes," I croaked. "Check on Bella," I begged.

"Can you sit up, Bella?" asked my dad after he'd checked her pulse.

"Yes, I think so." She took hold of Jasper's outstretched hands so he could pull her to a standing position as Emmett did the same for me. She was tired and weak, but otherwise she seemed okay following her near drowing.

Bella stood blinking, staring transfixed at the horizon.

"Is that land?" she whispered hoarsely.

We all looked in the direction she was gazing, but I couldn't see anything. The others shrugged indicating they couldn't see anything either and Dad reached out a hand to feel Bella's forehead for fever and check her eyes.

"It's there," she insisted, "I can see it!"

I looked again. Nothing. She must be fucking delirious.

Wait! What's that dark shadow just over the horizon? My heart beat rapidly in excitement.

I scrambled my way to the pilot house, barely acknowledging Rosalie as I grabbed the binoculars we'd taken from one of the life rafts. I slipped and slid my way back down the deck to where the others were still standing. They all squinted into the distance with their arms over the heads, trying to shade their eyes from the glaring noon sun so they could see better.

They shrugged and lowered their arms, all except for Bella who apparently could see just fine, better than fine.

The rest of us couldn't see shit!

I raised the binoculars to my eyes and prayed to all the Gods that ever existed and a few that probably didn't while I focused the twin lenses upon the horizon.

I started to laugh. The laughter rose out of my chest as an hysterical giggle, then a chuckle, finally morphing into a full-out belly laugh.

The silly half drowned bitch had spotted land!

I don't know how she'd done it, but she had.

Land! An island from what I could tell.

Bella's Island!

"Rosalie!" I yelled. "Turn to starboard! We've found land!"

...

A/N: Review, please. Let me know if I should continue this little story or not. If there is no interest from readers, I won't waste my time.

A couple of photo's are on my blog; the link is on my profile page.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: To Rebellion 7 who reviewed anonymously, thanks for taking the time to read and let me know what you thought. Here's another chapter. Enjoy.

...

Chapter 3 – Ship Wrecked

Alice and Mom appeared on deck as Dad, Jasper, Emmett and I sped to the remaining mast and ran up the sails trying to catch some wind – we'd lowered them while we fixed the bilge pump.

We wouldn't be moving quite as fast as we would be if we had both masts with full sails, but it was still better than nothing. Rosalie was holding the Victory steady as she pointed the bow of the boat toward the land that was becoming more visible as every minute passed us by.

"Did we hear you say we found land, Edward?" Mom asked hopefully.

Her face was tinged with green; so was Alice's, but both of them had been roused from their sick bed sofas when they heard the words, 'we've found land!'.

"Yes, Esme!" yelled Dad with a delighted laugh. "Bella spotted land – an island!"

"Where is it?" Mom gasped, looking around frantically.

Dad strode over to Mom and held her around the waist, turning her body so that she was looking toward the horizon. "Over there, Esme. You can just see the top of the mountain range," he said, pointing with his finger.

Mom gasped with excitement and laughed happily, bouncing up and down in Dad's arms.

"Ooooo," she moaned as she clutched her roiling stomach.

"How far is it, Edward?" asked Alice wanly, who was clinging to Jasper.

"As near as I can calculate, it's about 32 nautical miles away. The wind is currently blowing at around 15 knots. As long as the wind keeps up from astern and the bilge pump keeps working we might make it to the island by daybreak tomorrow."

The girls faces fell in disappointment.

"Why so long, Edward?" sobbed Alice.

"We don't have the main mast, Alice, and with all of the extra water the Victory is carrying, it's slowing us down. In fact, Jasper and Emmett, I hate to ask you this, but can you guys get back onto the manual bilge pumps? Dad and I will come down and relieve you in an hour."

My brothers groaned, but they moved to the hull hatch to do as I asked. The more water we could get out of the hull, the better. The unwanted water was adding weight, which made the Victory sit lower in the water, resulting in more drag and a slower speed. And more importantly, the lower the Victory's draft in the water, the riskier it would be sailing safely over the reef that almost certainly surrounded the island. I decided we might have to lay anchor and drop sails just outside the reef to wait for a high tide, and I said as much to Dad.

"When we get closer, Dad, I'm gonna climb the mast with the binoculars so I can study the sea floor and pinpoint the location of any reefs or rocks. Hopefully, I can find a gap that's deep enough to sail through, but if I can't, then we need to time our approach exactly, because we're only gonna get one chance at this."

Dad nodded his understanding. His expression was grim, as I knew mine was. If we failed, then we'd have to swim for it or use the life rafts, and we'd have nothing to survive on except the clothes on our backs!

"Alright, Son. I'm going to gather what medical instruments and drugs I can can carry in water-proof bags in case the worst happens."

"Good thinking," I agreed. "Mom?" I called out.

She turned around at the railing where she'd gone with Alice to check on Bella.

"What do you need, Edward?"

"I want you and the girls to pack up as many clothes, blankets and food as you can and pack them into the dinghys. There are waterproof bags in the bench seats in the kitchen," I told her.

Mom nodded her assent and urged Alice and Bella below. Bella was looking none the worse for her near drowning and I was relieved.

"Drink some water!" called Dad to Mom and the girls as they disappeared below deck. I saw Alice's hand wave in acknowledgment.

"Dad, if it looks like the Victory is going to sink, we'll put Mom and the girls into the dingys with the supplies and release them. Hopefully the four of us can tow them over the reef. It might be our only chance if the shit hits the fan," I told Dad sadly.

I blamed myself for our predicament. If I'd been paying attention the night we were attacked, I might have noticed the pirates before they had a chance to board us. All of my training to remain alert in all circumstances went down the toilet that night, because I was too focused on my Isabella fantasy.

My commanding officer would have seriously chewed me out for my stupid mistake.

The next eighteen hours felt like the longest hours I'd ever lived, and I know the others felt the same way. Everybody was exhausted, especially Emmett and Jasper who'd spent the most amount of time on the manual bilge pumps. Dad and I relieved them as much as possible, but as dawn edged over the eastern horizon, I climbed the rigging and began to study the sea floor for hazards.

We were only a couple of nautical miles from the island now, and it was a truly beautiful sight to behold. There was a mountain ridge which rose up from the center of the island with the highest peak rising about 300 feet above sea level, but it didn't appear to be actively volcanic.

I trained my binoculars onto the island and noted a long white beach edged with palms – there didn't appear to be any buildings or inhabitants anywhere, not that I could see much due to the dense foliage.

It really was a desert island! It was kind of surreal – like something out of the Swiss Family Robinson or Gilligan's Island.

I climbed down and sent Dad to relieve Jasper while I relieved Rosalie at the wheel. We needed our best captain at the helm! I didn't feel arrogant in my estimation that our best captain was me. The Victory was my boat and I had ten years of US Navy training and experience under my belt.

Ironically, I was due to report back to active duty in Pearl Harbor in two days time. It didn't look like I was gonna make it. I hope the XO doesn't report me as AWOL. The thought made me chuckle.

The tide was high as we sailed closer and it would reach it's zenith in about an hour when the water would be four meters above the highest part of the reef. Once we were over the reef, I'd sail the Victory right into shore, beach her and drop the anchors, hopefully keeping her there!

"Am I interrupting, Edward?" my Mom's soft voice asked.

I turned to look at her; she looked a little better – less green and wan and more hopeful.

"No, Mom, what's up?"

"I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. You're a good officer, Edward, and a good sailor. You'll make sure we all survive, because that's what a great leader does."

I blinked. She thinks I'm a great leader?

"Thanks, Mom." I said, hugging her and choking back a sob.

Forty minutes later, I started barking out orders. Jasper and Emmett were still on the manual bilge pumps with Dad relieving one of them every fifteen minutes, and all of their efforts were paying off. I told Mom and Bella to pull up the anchors while Rosalie and Alice hoisted the remaining sails.

The wind caught the unfurling sheets, making the Victory surge forward. I'd roughly mapped the area after my last recon from the rigging and I prayed to God, I'd drawn it right. The sea looked deep enough. Everyone on deck held their collective breaths and appeared to be praying.

Good! We needed all the help we could get!

The sea had gotten choppy as the wind picked up making the waves break over the reef as I maneuvered the rudder, turning the bow of the Victory toward a narrow channel that cut through the submerged coral.

"Alice, Rosalie!" I yelled. "Get up front and tell me where we are!" I ordered.

Mom and Bella were standing beside each of the two life rafts that were packed with supplies, prepared to let them loose if it looked like the Victory would sink or keel over.

The next thirty minutes was agonizing. Rosalie and Alice called course corrections to me every few minutes. I turned the wheel, moving the rudder so the boat would sail in the direction they indicated. I began to breathe a little easier, thinking we were safe, when Alice and Rosalie began to yell frantically.

"Rocks! Rocks! Edward rocks on the starboard side!"

I looked out the window.

Fuuucking hell!

Submerged rocks lay dead ahead.

I spun the wheel as fast as I could, coaxing the Victory to turn so we wouldn't run aground prematurely and sink.

"Turn, turn, turn!" I chanted.

Sweat was pouring off of me as I held tight to the wheel forcing the reluctant brigantine to turn to the port side.

"That's it, that's it," I encouraged, as we passed the rocks within a hairs breadth.

I let out the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding and giggled hysterically for a few seconds. Just when I thought we were clear, I felt the keel of the boat drag against the sea floor. We slowed as the hull groaned like a lone foghorn.

"Fuck it!" I spat.

A couple of big waves would be good right about now, I thought.

God must have heard me, because a minute later I felt a surge of wave power at Victory's stern. She glided up in the deeper water created by the waves movement and sailed forward once again over the sandbank that had been hidden by the rocks. Two more waves behind us had Victory charging for the beach.

I spun the wheel again, pointing the bow in the direction I wanted Victory to go and aimed for the lowest part of the long, wide beach. A gust of wind opened the sails up further and two more waves pushed us all the way in.

When I looked behind us, the water was smooth and calm with barely a ripple.

Maybe there really was a God!

When I looked forward again, the beach was nearly upon us, but ironically, we were now moving just a little too fast for a safe beaching.

"Drop the sails!" I yelled. "Hold on!"

The hull of the Victory touched the sand, scooping her way through the shallows and up the beach. The hull dug into the soft sand, slowing Victory until she came to a full stop when the bow pressed up against a thirty foot tall palm tree. The stern was sitting in the shallow water of the high tide some forty feet behind us.

"Everybody on deck!" I commanded as I raced out of the pilot house.

"Drop the anchors!"

Dad, Jasper and Emmett dragged themselves through the hull hatch, exhausted, sweaty and filthy from their many hours operating the manual bilge pumps. Without their efforts, I knew we would never have made it over the reef.

The anchors would hold Victory steady in the event of a king tide or a storm surge. The deep channel the Victory had gouged into the soft sand would keep her from keeling over while we salvaged what we could.

I pressed the palms of my hands to my eyes and gave thanks to whomever and whatever had been on our side.

We were safe.

We survived.

We were on land.

We were ship wrecked.

...

A/N: Reviews keep me writing and show me that you're interested. Please review! The response so far has been good.

Hmmm. Edward Cullen in a US Navy uniform - Yum! I can see him now. Summer whites or winter black. Unfortunately his hair would need to be kept short and neat while he was on active duty. Would anyone like to create a banner of Lieutenant Commander Edward A. Cullen in uniform?

XO – is a US Navy term for the Executive Officer. It is a rank below that of captain, but I'm not sure where in the hierarchy the rank sits.

AWOL – means absent without leave.

I don't know an awful lot (well, nothing really – lol) about sailing or boats, so I've done the best I can, but I know some of it is horribly wrong. If any of you have any sailing skills and you want me to correct anything, please let me know. I am always open to new information.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Sorry about any editing errors. I have to rush out the door in twenty minutes and I wanted to get this posted.

...

Chapter 4 – Making Camp

"That was amazing, Edward! Fucking amazing!" yelled Rosalie as she grabbed hold of me, giving me a tight squeeze. "Sorry, Esme," she said, referring to her language.

Mom didn't like swearing being a well brought up southern girl from Louisiana. She met Dad when she attended the University of Hawaii where he was studying medicine and she was studying art. They fell madly in love with each other and never looked back, marrying two weeks after graduation.

Although Mom had lived in Hawaii for the last thirty-five years, she'd never lost her soft southern accent and for some reason, Jasper spoke with a similar accent despite never spending more than a week, once every year in Mom's home city of New Orleans.

"That's quite alright, Rosie. There are times, when there is no better interjection than the word 'fuck' to describe a situation and I think this qualifies," Mom announced, tongue in cheek.

The rest of us were shocked speechless, except for Dad who laughed and grabbed Mom around the waist.

"Damn straight, Maisy," Dad said, "Damn straight!"

"What now?" voiced Emmett.

"We get as much gear off the boat as possible and we make camp somewhere close by," I told everyone, taking the lead. "We need to find a fresh water supply as well."

Everyone nodded, waiting for instructions.

"Right, it's 11 am now. Everyone is exhausted. We'll get the dinghys with the supplies off of Victory and then everyone needs to rest for three hours. Try to sleep if you can and make sure you drink plenty of water. After that, I'll assign tasks and we'll work until nightfall."

"Are you sure that's wise, Edward?" asked Jasper. He was a seasoned hiker and camper.

I rubbed my face again. "No," I sighed, "But you, Emmett and Dad in particular are almost at dropping point and the girls aren't much better off. If we don't rest now, we're gonna collapse like a tonne of bricks when we least expect it."

Everyone nodded and looked relieved at the reprieve from hard labor I was offering. We helped the girls climb down the ladder off the boat and walked them over the sand to a small clearing just inside the line of palms standing like sentinels along the beach. After handing them water bottles and telling them to drink, I took Dad and my brothers back to the boat to lower the dinghys.

After dragging them up the beach (you've no idea how fucking heavy they were!) we collapsed beside the girls and guzzled a bottle of water each. I wasn't overly worried about a fresh water supply being close by – the island was greener than Ireland and we had a working desalinator if we needed it. I set the alarm on my waterproof watch for three hours hence and closed my eyes. A few minutes later, I heard Emmett's quiet snores as he succumbed to his exhaustion.

Bella was lying beside me and I felt her small hand reach out and touch my upturned hand. She hesitated for a moment before squeezing my palm in a gesture of gratitude. I held onto her hand as I relaxed into the sand.

"Good work, Edward," I heard Dad whisper as I fell asleep.

...

"Jasper and Alice, take a compass and some water bottles and see if you can find a stream or a waterhole. Stay within one mile of our current location in any direction. Make sure you're back within three hours, with or without the water."

"Understood," said Jasper.

"Rosalie and Bella, I want you to search for fire wood. Look for tree wood that is dry but avoid driftwood because it releases a toxic gas called dioxin. Take a water bottle each and stay with 100 yards of the beach in any direction."

I pointed out three large trees that stood taller than any others, which were the approximate distance to our current location that I wanted the girls to search. I pointed north, east and west and told them to keep the landmarks in sight so they wouldn't get lost.

"Any questions?" I asked when neither girl said anything.

"No," said Bella softly as Rosalie shook her head.

"Good. The rest of us will get as much of the gear off Victory as we can, because we may be able to stop a lot of it from rotting if we can get it dried out straight away. Emmett and I will get the desalinator and the generator as well as any tools and remaining fishing gear we've still got."

Emmett nodded.

"What do you want your father and I to do?" asked Mom.

"Mom, I want you to pack up every single thing in the kitchen that isn't bolted down. Food, linen, pots, crockery – everything. Pack what we'll need for tonight and tomorrow morning into a duffel bag and leave it by the ladders – I'll take it over to our temporary camp."

"Alright."

"Dad, I want you to do the same thing in the sick bay and the lounge. If any of us finish their assigned tasks, move onto the next cabin or public room. If it's not broken beyond repair or bolted down, I want it off the boat by tomorrow night."

Dad nodded.

"Are there any questions?" I asked as I wound down my list of assignments.

Everyone shook their head, no, or remained silent.

"Good, let's get started," I said as I clapped my hands. Everyone had turned away to begin their assigned tasks when something crucial occurred to me.

"Mom!"

"Yes?" she said as she turned back.

"Save all of the fresh food and fruit even if it's rotting. As long as it hasn't been saturated with salt water, we might be able to salvage the seeds so we can grow our own food."

Mom grinned at me. "I planned on it, Son. You're talking to the girl who was raised on a plantation, remember? _Fourchette_ is one of the biggest farms in the state of Louisiana and I haven't spent thirty five years married to the brother of the pineapple king of Hawaii without learning a thing or two about living off the land."

I grinned back at her. "Oh, yeah. I forgot."

...

By five o'clock that evening, Jasper and Alice had located a fresh water source about half a mile away from our temporary beach camp. They brought back eight full water bottles and marked a trail so we could find our way back to the stream again.

Bella and Rosalie collected three days worth of wood and kindling for a camp fire, and dragged fallen palm fronds to the campsite so we'd have sleeping pallets during the night. They made up temporary beds using the cushions from the lounge as pillows and gave each person a blanket from the dinghys.

I heard Bella coughing a few times while she worked at the campsite. I would mention it to Dad and we'd watch her closely for post immersion syndrome, which can develop following a near drowning. I decided to tell her to rest some more and then go talk to Dad. I jumped from Victory's deck onto the soft sand and strode over to her.

"Bella?" I called.

"Hi," she wheezed, spinning around to smile at me – it didn't quite reach her eyes. Perspiration glistened on her forehead and her skin was pasty – whiter than usual. She'd been collecting fruit from the surrounding trees, walking backwards and forwards bringing back coconuts, bananas, papaya and mangoes. She seemed more tired than the other girls and that concerned me.

"I want you to rest for awhile," I told her, taking her hand to lead her to the makeshift beds.

"I'm fine, Edward!" she objected. "I can still keep going until we all stop for the day," she said firmly, ending her short speech with a cough.

She struggled to take a really deep breath. It was almost like she was having an asthma attack. I grabbed the cushion from the pallet next to hers, which I decided would be mine, and stacked it on top of her own cushion. I wanted her to lay propped up so she'd breath easier.

"Sit." I ordered.

She shot me an exasperated look and remained standing. I placed my hands on her shoulders and applied firm, but gentle pressure until she was forced to sit.

She glared at me.

"Lay down. I want you to stay here until Dad comes to examine you."

"What! Why? I'm fine!"

"You're coughing and wheezing, and you nearly drowned yesterday," I explained as I crouched down beside her. "You may be developing a complication, Bella," I said softly. I didn't want to frighten her, but I did want her to take her health seriously. "We can't afford to ignore health issues – not here," I told her.

Her eyes widened in understanding and she nodded, lying back against the stacked cushions. I nodded in satisfaction and told her I'd send Dad over to check on her.

I noticed Alice putting her childhood girl-guide skills to good use as I jogged back to Victory to find Dad. She'd built a campfire while Bella collected the fruit. I stopped and asked her to keep an eye on Bella and explained my concerns to her briefly. She nodded and glanced at Bella worriedly before going over to the sleeping camp to sit with her.

"Dad?" I called as I walked into the sick bay on board Victory.

"Yes, Edward?"

"I'm worried about Bella," I said without preamble. "She's coughing and wheezing."

Dad immediately picked up his medical bag which wasn't really a bag at all. It was a large plastic container, something like a tool box with a lid and movable trays inside.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"At the sleep camp. Her skin is clammy and pasty and she seems tired. I made her lie down propped on a couple of cushions."

Dad nodded appreciatively and left immediately to check on Bella. I went back to help Emmett while Dad worked. He'd explain his diagnosis and prognosis to me later. Right now, there was too much to do and I couldn't afford to lose any more time than I already had.

Emmett helped me throw the mattresses overboard where they landed on the sand and we hauled the desalinator and the generator off the boat using a pulley system Emmett rigged up from the broken sail. I dragged the mattresses up the beach away from the shoreline so they wouldn't get wet, but I was counting on it not raining overnight.

Dad had packed the sick bay into four 50 liter plastic tubs with lockable lids, creating the largest first aid kit I'd ever seen. Emmett and I hauled the tubs over to the campsite along with the supplies Mom had collected to get us through the next twelve hours. The rotting fruit and vegetables were attracting insects, so Mom threw it all in the Victory's garbage bin and sealed it with the lid. We left it on board overnight to keep it safe from the islands wildlife.

By the time we sat down to a meal of canned baked beans with meatballs (we were too exhausted to try fishing tonight) and fresh fruit, the entire family was ready to call it a day. Bella was breathing a little easier, but Dad watched her closely. I would talk to him in the morning about what he thought was wrong with her.

We wound down by talking quietly about what we'd need to do to make our lives more comfortable while we waited for rescue, which led to a conversation about when we _would_ be rescued.

Jasper and I exchanged speaking glances, but we both held our tongues.

He was a skilled outdoorsman with fifteen years of hiking, camping and kayaking experience, and I had a decade of Navy training under my belt. The fact that this island appeared uninhabited and likely uncharted – I didn't recognize its position on any map I had – didn't bode well for a speedy rescue.

We were too far off the international shipping lanes for rescue by a commercial ship and I know for a fact that the US Navy ships didn't come this close to any of the smaller, uncharted islands. We might strike it lucky and be seen by another pleasure craft as it passed by or if it dropped anchor outside the reef for a few hours, but I wasn't gonna get my hopes up or anybody else's for that matter.

No, our only real chance for a speedy rescue would come from an organized sea and aerial search. Jasper and I spoke privately earlier and we estimated that we have about another five days (we were already five days late in returning to Honolulu) until any government funded search is called off. After that, we'd all be listed as missing at sea, presumed dead!

Any rescue after this coming Friday would be sheer dumb luck.

We were on our own.

For now.

...

A/N: I won't be able to post another chapter until Saturday or Sunday as I have a friend visiting me from the Channel Islands today and I'm flying home to Sydney tomorrow. I will try to get something posted by Saturday night, even if it's a short one.

_Fourchette_, the name of the plantation Esme spoke about, means fork in French – my homage to Forks, Washington.

Papaya is known as paw paw in some countries.

I tried Googling the native tropical fruits of the south pacific, but Google returned **all** tropical fruits that are currently cultivated in the region. As I don't want to spend all of my time on research, (I'd rather be writing) I've decided not to worry about whether something edible is native or not. Basically, if it grows in the tropics, I might include it.

Post Immersion Syndrome following a near drowning is a serious medical condition.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: The response to Wrecked with Bella on FanFic and TWCS has been great. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and added the story to alerts or favorites. A couple of lovely readers have left me some unsigned reviews so thank you very much for taking the time. If you sign your reviews through your FanFic or TWCS log-on, I will respond to you directly.

...

Chapter 5 – Working Together

I didn't sleep well that first night on the island. Bella's coughing and wheezing was persisting even though she slept propped up, and I was worried about her. I'd gotten up about fifteen minutes ago when Dad woke and came to check on Bella – he'd been attending to her every couple of hours.

I walked down to the waters edge and stood in the shadow of Victory's stern to take a piss and give Dad time to treat Bella without me hanging over his shoulder. Victory was resting on the wet sand exposed by the low tide, leaving the tear in her hull visible. It was only a couple of inches wide, but it was over two feet long. I thanked God it wasn't any larger, because if it had been, we would have sank long before we found this island.

I made a mental list of what needed doing tomorrow … no, today – dawn would be upon us soon. We needed a more permanent shelter for a start. We were in the central to north pacific tropics, somewhere near the equator. There wasn't much of a change in seasons around the equator, so it was hot, sticky and wet most of the time. Violent tropical storms were common in the region as evidenced by the hurricane we'd weathered a week ago.

Even if we were rescued in the next five days, protection from the elements in the meantime was vital to our survival. And if we weren't rescued soon, then we'd need a permanent residence where we would be comfortable and safe from wildlife as well as the blistering sun and the rain.

We had a clean water source close by and a ready natural food supply so we wouldn't dehydrate or starve, but the generator was water logged and unless we could repair it, it was of little use to us. It meant that we couldn't charge any of the tools I had on board or run the refrigerator or any of the lights.

We'd refueled in Kiritimati, an atoll in the island nation of Kiribati about five days into our cruise and we were heading back to Honolulu, 1060 nautical miles away. The Victory had a fuel capacity of 5000 gallons and we had most of that left in the tanks because we'd been making good time under sails – until we were pirated that is – only using the engines at night for a few hours. I figure we had enough diesel fuel stored in Victory's tanks to supply us with generator power for a long time provided we could get the generator working and keep it working. Our biggest problem would be the lack of oil the generator required for optimal operation.

I walked back up the beach and inspected the mattresses Emmett and I had salvaged from the boat. They were drying in the warm night air, but the fabric was stiff and abrasive to the touch from the evaporating salt water, which had flooded the cabins when the broken mast fell through the deck. I think we'd saved them from rotting and they'd be useable once we wiped the dried salt off the fabric.

I wanted everything that was useful off the boat as soon as possible – the fuel would have to stay on board as we had nowhere to store it. We'd made good progress today even with our late afternoon start, but the coming days would be hard and exhausting while we salvaged Victory's permanent fittings. With Bella sick we'd be short two pair of hands while she recovered, because I wanted somebody with her all of the time.

If she'd developed what I thought she had, I was terrified she might not survive without a hospital.

The thought of Bella dying made my gut clench.

"Edward?" called Dad quietly.

I spun around. "How's Bella?"

Dad was worried, I could tell. "She's not good," he said grimly. "She _was_ breathing a little easier earlier this evening, but she's relapsed since then. She's developed post-immersion syndrome due to the salt water she inhaled when she nearly drowned. Her lungs are damaged and until they repair themselves, she's going to continue to deteriorate."

I was afraid as much.

"What can we do?" I asked Dad fearfully.

"She needs rest, but most importantly, she needs oxygen."

"Don't we have any bottles in the medical supplies?"

"Yes, but she needs more than I have available. The portable bottle I've hooked her up to will only last a couple of hours at best and then she's going to need another one," Dad told me.

"How many do we have?"

"Two."

I groaned. "It's not like you can just make more, is it?" I didn't realize I'd said it aloud until Dad responded.

"Well, I could if we had a working power source because I outfitted Victory with a portable oxygen generator," Dad told me.

I blinked. He did?

"When did you do that?"

"I asked Volturi Outfitters to include it in the sick bay equipment when you had Victory refurbished. We have a defibrillator as well," he told me proudly.

"How come I don't know this?"

"You were at sea on a deployment for months and honestly, I forgot about it because we've only been out on day or weekend trips before this cruise."

Wow! My Dad thinks of everything! The US Navy has all sorts of medical equipment on its vessels, but you don't tend to think about it unless you get seriously injured or really sick while at sea, and I'd never been either. I wonder what else my family ordered for the Victory that I didn't know about. Extra equipment purchases explains why the cost of the refit was higher than Volturi originally quoted … not that I was currently complaining!

"I'll start working on repairing the generator right now!" I assured Dad.

"How long will it take?"

"A few hours at least. It's hydrolocked with salt water," I sighed. "I'll have to drain the tank and the engine and clean the injectors."

"Get Rosalie onto it, Edward. She's got the golden touch when it comes to anything mechanical. I know you want to start salvaging Victory at first light; you'll get further if you and your brothers do it together – you have more strength and stamina than the girls."

"Alright," I agreed, tugging ineffectively at my short hair. It had grown out a half inch while I was on leave. I'd have to visit the barber for a haircut before I reported back to duty – _if_ I reported back to duty.

"Good. You wake Rosalie, and I'll reduce Bella's oxygen delivery to make it last longer before we'll need the second bottle."

…

The rising sun was lightening the waning night sky when Dad and I walked back to the sleep camp. Bella was lying propped against the cushions and was covered with a couple of blankets. A nasal cannula was fitted around her ears keeping the two prongs delivering the vital oxygen, securely in her nose. Her complexion was a little pinker I thought, and she wasn't coughing as much.

I knew her condition would worsen again once the oxygen ran out. I watched Dad check the regulator and reduce the flow of oxygen by one third. Dad had told me that in a hospital, Bella would be treated with 100% oxygen therapy delivering 12 to 15 liters of oxygen per minute. The portable bottle would deliver a maximum of five liters per minute and Dad had just reduced it to three.

"Rosalie?" I called quietly, so as not to wake the others yet.

We had slept in a square, around a small camp fire providing us with warmth and light. Each couple slept on each side of the square with the women lying on the inside where we could protect them from predators or other threats.

"Rosalie!" I called again, a little louder this time.

"Hmm, what?" she mumbled sleepily, rolling against Emmett.

"Wake up. Dad and I need your expertise. It's an emergency!" I told her.

Her eyes popped open. "Okay. Okay, I'm awake. What's the emergency?" she asked as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"We need you to get the diesel generator running – it's hydrolocked. Bella needs oxygen and Dad can't make any more without power."

Rosalie blinked. "Carlisle knows how to make oxygen?"

"Yes. Now, get up," I ordered. "Please," I added.

"Where is it?" she asked as she stood up, brushing the sand from her clothes. "I'm going to need a light source, some buckets, rags and tools, oil and any spare parts you might have," she listed.

"I've got it all ready for you," I told her as I led her away.

"Bella's counting on you, Rosalie," I whispered. "Dad said she'll probably die – she'll slowly suffocate – within 24 to 72 hours if we can't make a continuous supply of oxygen for her while her lungs heal from the near drowning."

Rosalie gulped visibly and nodded. I knew she would do her very best – we all would. I said a silent prayer, beseeching the God who'd led us safely to this island, to allow us to save Bella.

I climbed the ladder to Victory's deck and began unloading the packed items we'd left there yesterday evening, using Emmett's pulley system. I worked tirelessly for a solid hour, alternately watching Rosalie and then Dad as he attended Bella. Keeping busy was stopping me from dwelling on what it would mean for us all; for me, if Bella didn't make it.

Jasper and Emmett joined me at around 6.30 in the morning, bringing with them a mug of black coffee for me, as well as their own.

Ah, sweet ambrosia I thought as I sipped the steaming brew.

Mom had managed to save the coffee! We'd better enjoy it, because it wouldn't last forever and I didn't like our chances of finding coffee bean trees on a tropical island in the middle of the pacific ocean. There might be herbs though, which we could dry and use to steep herbal teas and even medicines.

The hours seem to pass at a snails pace as my brothers and I unloaded the supplies and equipment stacked on Victory's deck. Mom and Alice finished packing up the cabins and public rooms. Rosalie worked tirelessly on the generator, finally getting it operational two hours ago after a few false starts and some pretty ugly language.

Mom pretended she didn't hear it.

We carried the diesel generator up to the sleep camp so Dad could hook it up to the portable oxygen generator close to Bella. He placed her onto direct oxygen straight from the medical generator, covering her mouth and nose with an oxygen mask.

As soon as she started receiving concentrated oxygen therapy, her breathing and color improved but she remained unconsciousness. Dad said her body was tired from the lack of oxygen in her blood and she'd sleep for awhile before waking.

We broke for lunch at 12.30 and ate heartily of freshly caught fish, courtesy of Jasper's fishing skills – he'd made a crude rod from a stick of bamboo, some string and a hook. He managed to catch six reef snapper in about thirty minutes from the beach lagoon that was abundant with sea life, using some of the rotting meat from the Victory's fridge as bait. He gutted and scaled the fish before cooking them over the camp fire.

Mom made some salad using edible leafy greens, bamboo shoots and tropical flowers, tossing it with a tasty dressing of olive oil from our salvaged pantry stores, and some mango nectar she juiced from the fruit Bella had collected. We finished our first survivalist meal with fresh fruit and coconut water.

We need to replenish the fresh water supply, so I volunteered to go with Jasper and Emmett to the fresh water stream to fill the water bottles. We'd drank the water Jasper and Alice collected yesterday without treating it for parasites and bacteria first. We felt fine, but Dad wanted us to boil the water before we drank it until he could test it. Given Bella's current health predicament, Jasper and I agreed with Dad that it was wise to take precautions.

We poured the remaining water into a pot over the campfire and told Mom and the girls to let it come to a rolling boil, which would be more than enough to kill all pathogens, bacteria and parasites. We each collected four water bottles and set off into the jungle, following Jasper's trail to the stream.

It took about fifteen minutes to walk through the dense foliage to an area that was not quite a clearing, but which was not as densely vegetated as the surrounding jungle. I deduced that animals probably used the area for their own water needs and I wondered what hunting might be available to us for fresh meat.

The area Jasper led us to had a large pool, fed by a free flowing stream.

"I can hear fast-flowing water," I said.

"Yes. There's a small waterfall about 100 yards that way," he said, pointing in a northerly direction.

"Did you see any animals when you were here yesterday, Jasper?"

"Just birds and reptiles, as well as plenty of insects of course," he replied.

"Well, it's better than nothing," I said. "We need to supplement our seafood and fruit diet with some meat."

"I agree."

"Yuk, lizard for dinner!" complained Emmett.

"Lizard isn't so bad, Emmett. You've eaten crocodile in Australia before and liked it; just imagine it's a croc steak and you'll be fine," Jasper said, smirking.

I grinned at Emmett and looked around the clearing with interest. I thought it might be a good place to build a permanent campsite. It was far enough away from the beach to protect us from storm surges and the worst of any bad weather, but close enough for daily fishing and fuel collection from the Victory's tanks. We could clear a path from the campsite to the beach to make the journey swift and safer, especially for Mom and the girls.

There were a few very tall palm trees in the clearing that might be useful as look out posts for spotting passing ships or danger from the campsite – we wouldn't always be at the beach. There were other trees and one of them looked like some type of fig tree with a far-reaching canopy and hundreds of suckers dropping from its branches into the rich, verdant soil below.

"Emmett, could we build a house in this clearing?" I asked him, interrupting his and Jasper's good-natured arguing.

"Huh?" he said, his eyes wide.

"_Could we build a house_ in this clearing as a permanent camp site?" I repeated.

Jasper nodded approvingly. Emmett just looked dumbfounded.

"But aren't we gonna be rescued soon?" he asked.

"Maybe, but the longer we go without spotting any passing ships or sighting low flying aircraft, the less our chances are of being found anytime soon," I explained to him. We hadn't seen or heard anything since we landed on the island yesterday.

Emmett gulped.

"It's been six days since we should have returned to Honolulu, Emmett," Jasper said. "Any search for us will likely be called off in about four days time," Jasper added calmly.

"That's why you're so insistent about moving everything off Victory, isn't it Edward? You don't think we'll be rescued, and you agree with him too, don't you Jasper?" said Emmett accusingly. The tone of his voice said that he wanted us to deny it, but we couldn't.

I nodded slowly.

"You mean we're gonna be stuck here, like … like on Gilligan's Island or somethin'?" he uttered disbelievingly.

This time, both Jasper and I nodded.

"Well, fuck me!" Emmett said.

Jasper and I remained silent for a few minutes, allowing Emmett time to process what we'd told him.

"You're the engineer, Emmett, with a successful construction company - so do you think we can build a house using the salvaged Victory, jungle trees and bamboo?" I asked him again.

He scratched his head, obviously thinking.

"Anything's possible, Edward. I'd have to catalog all of the salvaged materials and design something we could build without modern fasteners or tools," he said. "Making it weather-tight is gonna be the biggest problem."

"Well, get on it, Emmett," encouraged Jasper. "We need to get Mom and the girls under roof as soon as possible."

"Alright," he said.

"Good. Let's get these water bottles filled and get back to the beach," I said. "I want to check on Bella."

"You like her, don't you Edward?" said Emmett curiously.

I shrugged and crouched down to fill my four bottles.

…

When we got back to camp, Bella was conscious but she was very tired and still on oxygen therapy. Dad was pleased with her progress but he warned that she wasn't out of the woods yet.

"The next 24 hours is crucial, Edward. If she can get through that and show marked improvement, and the equipment doesn't fail, then I think she'll make a full recovery."

Dad's prognosis was encouraging. He also explained, that secondary drowning, which was basically suffocation from a lack of oxygen due to lung damage that caused the lungs to fill with fluid, was a very real problem for a near drowning victim. More people died in the hours and days after they were saved than most people actually realized.

Dinner that night was more fish with roasted wild yam and more jungle salad. Bella managed to eat a little food and drink some juice blended with water before she fell back against the cushions, exhausted, and Dad put the oxygen mask back over her face. He disconnected the two oxygen bottles he'd refilled while Bella wore the nasal cannula to eat and drink.

I sat with Bella and read to her from Dan Brown's sequel to the DaVinci Code. I'd brought the best seller on the cruise hoping to catch up on my reading, but I never even opened it, until now. I read aloud until Bella was asleep and then I laid down beside her.

The diesel and oxygen generators were noisy, but I didn't care. The others moved a few meters away to try to get some sleep, but I could see Emmett scratching away on a notepad by the campfire. He scribbled on endless pages of paper and I saw what looked like a few sketches, plans and calculations on some of the pages.

Good man Emmett, I thought, and smiled.

We were working together, solving problems and making plans.

Adversity never kept a Cullen down!

We'd weathered our first crisis on our new island home.

I knew there would be plenty more.

…

A/N: A few photos are on my blog. The link is on my profile page.

The research for this chapter drove me nuts! In the end I had to guess, or use measures of time, distance (nautical miles) and fuel capacity for different types of boats and yachts. I'm sorry if any sailors out there were shaking their heads while they read this chapter.

Similar research dilemmas applied to the post-immersion condition commonly known as secondary drowning – it's hard to find reliable information. I have no idea whether a medical professional _might_ reduce the amount of therapeutic oxygen given to a patient in order to make a limited amount of oxygen last longer, but it seemed like something one might do to extend somebody's life and give them a fighting chance.

Let's see:

1. Zero oxygen flow when the two tanks are empty in 3 to 4 hours with no guarantee that the diesel generator will be fixed in time!

OR

2. Reduced oxygen flow over many more hours making Bella more comfortable for a longer period while Rosalie gets the generator working!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

Chapter 6 – Making Plans

I discussed my plan to relocate our campsite with the rest of the family over breakfast on our second day marooned on the island. Bella wasn't able to contribute much, but she listened attentively. Alice cried when Jasper and I explained to the family, our fear that we might not be rescued. Mom was shocked at the news, but as long as we were safe and we stuck together, she would simply get on with building a new life. Mom was great that way; nothing much phased her unless it was a threat to her family.

"It'll be okay, Alice," Jasper murmured quietly to the weeping woman in his arms. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her arms, trying to comfort her.

Alice is a tiny, black-haired, blue-eyed dynamo, slender to the point of frailness until you try to push her around, and then you see how strong she really is, both mentally and physically. But Alice is a city girl used to a life of luxury and convenience. Our current situation would be hard to accept for anyone who didn't choose it.

"But if we move away from the beach, how will the rescuers know we're here?" she asked desperately.

"Victory sticks out like a sore thumb, Alice. The rescuers aren't gonna miss us," Jasper soothed.

"That's right, Alice, and we'll minimize the risks associated with moving inland, by building a signal fire on the beach to catch the attention of any passing ships or planes," I assured her.

"Moving away from the beach is the best thing to do, Sweetie," explained Jasper to his wife. "We're open to the elements while we stay on the beach. The weather around the equator is unpredictable," he told her. "We're lucky it hasn't rained any more than the sprinkling shower it already has."

"But, but ..." she trailed off.

"Wouldn't you like to be closer to fresh water, Ally?" tempted Emmett. "You could have H2O on site for drinking, cooking and bathing. I know Rosalie could do with a freshen up," he said, sniffing at the air and wrinkling his nose.

Mom's mouth fell open in shock and then she grinned as Rosalie narrowed her eyes and glared at her less than subtle husband. He winked at her and she clouted him across the back of the head with her hand.

"Ow!"

"Hmmph," she said, crossing her arms across her body. Even through Emmett was only teasing her to make a point with Alice, Rosalie tucked her head into her shoulder anyway and sniffed delicately at her armpit.

Bella managed a small chuckle below the oxygen mask at Rose's automatic response to the implication she might smell. The rest of us grinned.

"What!" she said. "I'm just checking," she explained huffily.

"Seriously though, Emmett makes a good point," I said. "We've got two manual bilge pumps that we can use to pump water out of the stream. Then we wouldn't need to cart our water – it would be on tap, so to speak."

"Really!" piped up Rose. "Can you build me a shower, Honey?" she asked her husband, still fixated on the need to freshen up on a daily basis.

"I sure can, Baby," crooned Emmett. "And I'll even build it big enough for two," he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"You wish," she told him, still mildly pissed with him.

Dad interjected for the first time since the family discussion began.

"I agree with the boys. We need a safe camp and the beach is far too open. None of us can afford to get sick or injured, because my medical resources aren't infinite," he said, looking pointedly at Bella. "We need to create our own infrastructure so we can survive while we wait for rescue or we find away off this island."

"Carlisle is right," agreed Mom. "I don't want to live on the beach, sleeping on a palm frond and squatting in the bushes to relieve myself for the next however long it is we're stuck here!"

Alice's expression was still unsure, but she was beginning to relent under family pressure.

"I tell you what, Alice, we continue to make camp on the beach for the next three days and nights while we wait for rescue," I said.

Alice brightened.

"In the meantime, we start moving everything to the new campsite," I compromised. "The activity will keep us busy while we wait, and if we get rescued we won't need it anyway, so we haven't lost anything except some sweat."

"Yes, and if on the fourth morning, there have been no sightings, we all move to the new campsite," added Jasper. "Are we all in agreement?"

Alice nodded hesitantly while everyone else murmured yes.

Jasper and I looked at each other with relief. I didn't miss Dad and Emmett glancing at us. They looked relieved as well.

"What type of house will we build?" asked Mom eagerly. Now that we had a definite plan laid down, she wanted to get started.

"Emmett?" I said, gesturing for him to explain his ideas.

"Well, first of all, anything we build will be constructed mainly of bamboo as that's the most prolific resource available to us. It's fast growing, easy to harvest and lightweight, but it's also super strong and it can be used in an endless number of ways. Palm fronds and other woven grasses will cover the roof, and we can use both bamboo and palm leaves to weave wall panels, awnings and mats, because as long as it's woven tightly, it's pretty much waterproof."

"How long will it take us, Em?" asked Dad.

"I estimate three or four months with all of us working on it, but I want to build a small, no-frills shelter first where we can sleep, which I figure we can build in about a week. Once we have a floor, four walls and a roof, we can throw the mattresses down on the floor and sleep on them. I suggest we build a shelter of some sort for cooking and something to use for a toilet and bathing area. The no-frills hut can be used for storage when we move into the house."

"That seems like a sound plan, Emmett," Dad praised. "Does anyone have any objections or suggestions to make?"

"We need to cover the salvaged materials to keep them as dry as possible if it rains," said Emmett. "They're sitting out in the open."

"We can use the sails for that," I said. "They're made from canvas. I'll also set up the two manual bilge pumps and attach them to the hoses we salvaged off Victory. One outlet will be used for the bathing area and one for the cooking area. Eventually, I might be able to make a Y splitter so we can get water to multiple locations using a single pump."

"That's good; anybody else?"

Mom spoke up. "I'll dry the seeds from the rotting fruit and vegetables. In this heat, it shouldn't take long and I'll germinate some seedlings we can plant in a garden. We've also got some potatoes and onions. As soon as the potatoes sprout eyes, we should be able to plant them and keep up a continuous crop as long as they don't rot in this humidity. The onions are already growing stalks, so I'll plant them so they flower and let them go to seed," she told us.

"I'll build you a garden bed, Mom, and fence it so the native fauna don't invite themselves for dinner," volunteered Jasper. "Do we have any mosquito netting?"

"There's some, but it's only enough to cover a table of food to keep the insects away," I told him. "There are some rope hammocks and the sail rigging – will they be useful?" I asked. I could see where Jasper was headed. He wanted to keep insects and birds away from the garden crop.

"Yes."

"I'll help with the garden," said Bella weakly.

Mom smiled at her and patted her hand warmly. "Thank you, Sweetheart, but your job is to rest and get well until Carlisle says otherwise. When you're on your feet, you can help with the garden and use your own skills to aid in our survival," Mom told her.

Bella frowned but didn't say anything. I think she felt guilty for lying around while the rest of us worked and ran after her. I know I would.

"I can weave bamboo, grasses and palm fronds," piped up Alice, getting into the spirit of things. "It's been a few years since my girl-guide days, but I think I can remember how to make some basic items like mats and baskets," she said.

"Good girl," whispered Jasper, with a gentle kiss to her mouth.

"Oh! What about macrame? That's really versatile," suggested Rosalie.

"What! What's that?" asked Emmett.

"Macrame – it's textile-making using a series of knots rather than weaving. Traditionally, you'd use some type of organic or synthetic fiber like wool or twine, but I bet the native grasses and bamboos would work well and let us make all sorts of things. People have made clothes and even furniture using macrame!" she said knowledgeably.

"Good. Rosalie will you also handle most of our mechanical issues?" asked Dad.

She nodded.

"I suggest we keep all feathers from the birds, as well as the skins from animals and reptiles we kill for food," said Jasper. "Over time, we'll build up a supply of secondary resources that may be useful for building, hunting, clothes, pillows and blankets."

I nodded in satisfaction. Everyone was making plans – positive reinforcement – instead of dwelling on our less than stellar circumstances.

"Show us your house plans, Emmett," said Mom as Emmett flipped through his notebook.

Jasper and I sat back and let the rest of the family look at the plans and drawings Emmett had made. We'd seen them this morning and reviewed them in detail when Emmett brought them to us. He'd stayed up all night working on the project. There would likely be challenges during the construction phase, necessitating changes, but the house Emmett proposed was grand – a plantation house – constructed almost entirely from bamboo.

He'd drawn a two storey house that rose about five feet off the ground on bamboo stilts. A set of stairs led from the ground to the house on two sides, which would be the front and rear of the house. A verandah surrounded the first level of the house on all four sides and the roof extended over the veranda providing a covered outside area on the second level. All of the windows were covered with bamboo awnings that could be raised and lowered over the windows as required.

The first level consisted of a kitchen, dining room, sick bay and two living rooms. There was also a laundry room of sorts, which Emmett thought might be useful as an area for drying clothes under cover when it rained.

The second level of the house was the sleeping area. It was divided into six bedrooms – three on each side, and two bathrooms – one per three bedrooms with an attached toilet stall. The landing near the interior staircase was large enough for a small sitting area.

"How are we going to have a kitchen and bathrooms with running water in the house, Emmett? We have no plumbing," said Mom with a delighted laugh.

"Bamboo plumbing," he replied proudly, puffing up his chest.

"You can do that?" asked Rosalie. The rest of them looked at Emmett, wondering the same thing.

"Yes – bamboo is hollow. It's a perfect pipe," he told them.

"Won't indoor toilets get kind of smelly?" asked Mom, wrinkling her nose.

"Well, they're not really toilets, Mom. They're more like old fashioned commode closets with a bowl under the seat for the waste, which we can use at night or when it rains. I'll build an outhouse with a pit toilet away from the house. You throw dirt in the hole when you've finished and it decomposes naturally."

"Oh."

"Someone's going to have to empty the collection bowls into a cess pit or the outhouse every day," said Dad, stating the obvious.

"Eww," replied Alice, verbalizing what everyone was thinking.

"It's the best idea I can come up with. I don't know if I can figure out an S bend and a working cistern for a flushing toilet," Emmett told us regretfully.

"That's fine, Emmett," Dad said in a conciliatory tone. "What you've already come up with is impressive. Are you sure we can build something like that?"

"Yes. We've got my engineering and construction skills as well as the tools on Victory and eight able-bodied people. Even if the generator fails again preventing us from charging the power tools, we've got enough hand tools to pull this off," he stated confidently.

"Let's get started," I said. The morning was half over already. "We'll start with a signal fire on the highest point of the beach, which is that outcropping of rocks over there," I suggested, pointing 200 yards up the beach opposite Victory's position. "Everyone except Bella and Dad should collect as much dry wood as you can find, and this time include some driftwood. It burns brightly, so it will be seen from a distance if we need to light the fire at night," I told them.

…

By the time we broke for a late lunch, the signal fire was built. A packet of matches was wrapped in some canvas and we tucked it into a shell that we pushed into a shallow crevice in one of the rocks. They would keep dry there and wouldn't blow away.

I took my lunch over to Bella and sat down on my palm frond pallet to keep her company. She was breathing much better with the oxygen therapy and her color was good. She wasn't coughing anymore but she still had a slight wheeze, which was improving with every hour.

Dad decreed that she would recover even if the generator failed. I told him to bite his tongue! That generator would make life so much easier for us the longer we could keep it operational. Jasper, Emmett and I plugged in the marine batteries earlier to keep them charged for use as a power source when the generator wasn't running. Dad's oxygen generator used only a fraction of the power the diesel engine produced.

"How are you feeling?" I asked Bella.

"Better. What's for lunch, today?" she asked lightly, trying to get a look at my plate. Her voice was muffled by the mask, but I could make out her words just fine.

I showed her the fish, yams and fruit on the plate. "It's not very interesting," I told her with a slight grimace, "But it is nutritious and filling."

"Looks good."

"Are you hungry?"

"I am actually. Do you think that's a good sign?"

"I'd say that's an excellent sign," confirmed Dad as he came over to swap Bella's oxygen mask for the nasal cannula. He held her lunch plate and a drink in his hands. A small bottle of water was tucked between his arm and his body.

I put my own lunch plate on the sand and moved to help Bella sit up so she could eat. Her appetite returning was good news!

"Drink all of the water, Bella and eat as much of the food as you can," Dad instructed. "I don't want you getting dehydrated and you need to build up your strength."

"Alright."

"If you keep improving, I'll reduce the flow of oxygen tomorrow and you can spend longer periods using the cannula. I'll attach it to one of the portable bottles so you can move around a bit."

"Oh, that will be good. I'm getting a bit stiff lying here on the sand, and I could really do with a wash," she said, tucking into the food.

Dad and I laughed and Bella grinned.

"I'll send Esme over and she can help you freshen up," offered Dad. Bella's face shone with gratitude.

"So you really think we won't be rescued?" she asked me quietly when Dad moved away.

"Yes. I really do," I said, being brutally honest.

Protecting the family from the severity of our circumstances was fruitless – we had been missing for eight days now; six at sea and two on land. We would achieve nothing by sitting around in the sand waiting for a boat or plane that might never come. Yet what we'd achieved today, with all of our discussion and planning – that was beneficial and would serve us well in the end.

My suggestion to move our camp site and Emmett's plans for a permanent residence boosted everybody's morale once they all got over the shock of an uncertain rescue. His confidence that we could build what we needed, kept our spirits high and gave us something to work toward.

I looked over to the cooking campfire. Mom was heating water for Bella's sponge bath while Alice and Rosalie collected some soap, a towel and fresh clothing for her. Emmett was cracking coconuts while Jasper held them steady on a rock with his hands, threatening murder if he missed. Dad stood by with his medical bag, just in case.

They were all laughing.

It appeared our future wasn't completely hopeless after all.

…

A/N: Reviews are lovely!

Check out the fantastic banner on my blog made for me by TWCS's 'Ysar'. Thank you so much.

Btw: Can somebody PM me how to attach the banner to my TWCS story.

I don't think there will be an update tomorrow, because I'm supposed to be painting my bedroom. As my bedroom furniture is currently sitting in my living room, I'd better get a move on!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thank you for all of the great reviews. The response has been fantastic.

To Just4Me, thanks for your wonderful review on chapter 6. Unfortunately, FanFiction can't find the review for some reason, so I couldn't respond to you personally.

…

Chapter 7 – Moving House

Day four dawned bright and sunny; a change from the previous day, which had been wet and sticky.

Today was moving day.

We were all up bright and early, packing up our belongings and the supplies that had remained at the beach camp while we moved everything else to the inland camp site. Jasper and Emmett began dismantling the tent they'd constructed from three tall poles strapped to a stabilizing ridge pole that formed the roof, and three shorter poles on each side with another ridge pole, forming the tent walls. It had kept us dry in the thunderous rain and helped minimize mosquito attacks in the intense humidity.

It had taken us three days to lug the supplies we'd already unloaded from Victory to the new camp. The jungle trail was hard going when you had your arms full, but it was worn down from the constant to-ing and fro-ing, so it wouldn't be so hard to clear when we got around to it.

We'd covered the supplies with all of the sails – except the one we were using as a tent – and plenty of palm fronds to keep it all dry. We parked it all under the giant banyan fig in the clearing, using its enormously dense canopy as an umbrella. I'd checked it all at first light. It was a little damp in places, but the majority of it was still bone dry.

Bella had made a full recovery, coming completely off oxygen yesterday morning. Dad had reduced the flow daily as she improved. She was still tired, but was gaining strength everyday.

Alice taught Mom, Rose and Bella how to weave during the rain, and they spent the day under cover making basic mats and baskets from palm fronds. Some of their first attempts were pretty crappy, but they'd all improved by the time they'd each woven their third and last item of the day.

They held up their wares proudly when we men all came back to the beach camp at the end of the day, exhausted, soaking wet and slightly testy. The girls used their baskets to store our clothes and we used the mats as somewhat floppy dinner trays that night, which because of the rain, was canned goods from Victory's pantry stores.

Alice was now more than eager to move inland having spent a day and a night on the beach during a storm. I saw her worried expression as she watched the waves crashing onto the shore as the sun set for the evening. The waves were gray and turbulent under the stormy sky, and not at all, the pretty turquoise, rippling blue she was used to.

There would be no more objections to our planned move.

My brothers, Dad and I spent yesterday during the rain, cutting bamboo. It wasn't the best weather for harvesting and most of what we cut near to the new camp, was youngish and very green. Bamboo that was best for construction were culms that had at least five years growth and yellowed. The ones we cut were more like two or three years old, but they'd be adequate for our temporary sleeping hut.

We arrived at the new camp just after 8 am.

Emmett and Jasper immediately set about re-erecting our tent where we'd sleep for the next week or so until the hut was completed. Mom set up a temporary kitchen by the camp fire that Jasper had already laid out for her, ready to light. We sank one of the beach umbrellas we had over the preparation area as a cover from the sun and rain. I don't know why I didn't think about that before. The beach equipment had been packed away in the bench seats on Victory's sun deck, and I simply forgot about it all.

I dug a two foot deep x one foot wide pit, twenty yards downwind of the camp which would be our temporary toilet. I left the dirt I dug up mounded beside the pit, along with a small plastic shovel from one of the beach bucket kits we had on Victory. I sank another umbrella over the pit so we wouldn't get wet if it rained while we took care of business. Mom picked a pile of leaves – ones that were non-toxic – so I placed them in Bella's new basket with a rock so they wouldn't blow away, sitting it next to the pit – natural toilet tissue!

"Let's get started," said Emmett, who was eager to build.

He pulled his plan for the hut from his back pocket. "Okay, first we need to mark out the foundation and dig twelve holes for the support posts. We'll use these sticks as pegs and this ball of twine to measure a footprint that is twelve x twelve feet. The holes need to be two feet deep and four feet apart," instructed Emmett.

"What are we using for support posts, Emmett?" asked Dad quizzically. "Won't wood rot?"

"Untreated cut timber or bamboo will rot if it's in the ground, but we're using driftwood logs. They've already decomposed and been chemically treated by the ocean so they won't rot easily," he explained.

"I didn't know that," Mom said, surprised.

Emmett nodded knowledgeably. "Yep. I built a couple of driftwood decks for a client last year. They were constructed entirely from ocean driftwood from the foundation to the hand railings. No concrete or metal post supports were used at all."

"Is that what we'll use for our house, as well?" I asked.

"Yes. Driftwood logs will form the primary foundation for the bamboo house to rest on. If we bury bamboo in the ground – even properly dried and treated bamboo – it will rot quickly. The driftwood logs are sturdier and are rot resistant, especially driftwood from rainforest timber like teak, cedar and mahogany, which are hard timbers."

Emmett glanced at his list for the next assignment and looked up at the girls. I was impressed with my eldest brother. I'd never been much interested in what he did for a living, so I never realized just how much knowledge a builder needed to learn in order to make quality buildings. If I was building a house, it would have been made out of twigs and grass.

"Alice, Rosalie, I want you both to take these two hand saws and cut all of that bamboo marked pile '1' into 3 foot lengths. Use these poles with the red ribbon tied on them as your guide," he said, handing them each a pole that was exactly 3 feet long. "The cuts need to be exact, okay. So hold the guide pole against the pole to be cut; hold them tight and cut through the bamboo using a firm but easy sawing action – like slicing a loaf of bread. It's easy to cut, but it frays easily at the cutting edge, so don't hack at it or press too hard. Okay?"

The girls nodded, but looked dismayed at the number of poles to be cut.

"Wear these gloves to protect your hands," Em told them, handing them the only two pair of protective gloves I had on board Victory, "and take a break when you get tired."

"Bella, could you weave some mats like you did yesterday, except they need to be bigger? We need enough mats to cover the floor of the hut to even out the rounded surface of the bamboo pole floor."

"Alright," she agreed.

Emmett had given her a job that wouldn't tax her too much. She was much stronger than she was, but still tired easily.

"Mom, I thought you might want to start on your garden," suggested Emmett.

"I would." She turned to address me. "Edward, what did you do with the kitchen garbage from Victory?" Mom asked. "The garbage, not the salvaged fruit and vegetables," she clarified.

I thought it was a weird question. "Why?"

"I want the egg cartons and other cardboard packaging to grow the seedlings in. Also, we ate a lot of the fruit and veggies before the rest of it went bad and I want the seeds we threw in the bin. I might be able to germinate some more fruiting plants as long as they weren't grown from those awful, sterile hybrid plants," she explained.

"I buried the bags near the beach camp - they stunk. Do you want me to go and dig them up for you?" I was so proud of my Mom. Only a farm girl and a gardener-extraordinaire would think to sift through the garbage for seeds. Dad looked mighty impressed as well.

"Yes please, Edward. Will you bring me another beach bucket set as well – one of the ones with a bucket, a spade and a fork. I recall there were three sets with the beach equipment," she mused.

"They're already here with the rest of the beach equipment. I'll get a set for you," I told her.

…

By the time I got back from digging up the garbage bags – Fuck, they reeked! – Jasper had set up a folding picnic table for Mom to use as a potting bench. Mom was wearing a pair of rubber kitchen gloves, squeezing the seeds out of the moldy, sour smelling fruit and vegetables she'd already salvaged.

Bella was seated on a folding camp chair, stripping palm fronds off their stems with a sharp knife. I watched her as she paused for a moment to pull her hair up into a pony tail to keep it off her neck and out of her eyes. The new hairdo emphasized her heart shaped face, which had picked up a bit of a tan over the past few days – we all had – but on Bella, the tan made her facial skin appear luminous.

She was gorgeous!

She looked up and noticed me staring at her. I waved and she smiled at me shyly before returning her attention to her work.

As I strode over to Mom with the dripping, plastic garbage bags, I could hear Alice and Rosalie swearing quietly under their breath as they sawed away at the bamboo poles. I watched them tossing the cut poles to the side as they finished each one and reached for another. They were moving pretty quickly at the moment, but that would change as they tired.

Dad and Jasper were marking out the foundation. Emmett had gone to another part of the beach where he'd seen some large logs when we searched for driftwood for the signal fire. He came back huffing and puffing through the jungle, dragging two huge logs behind him. He dumped them by the hut and went to check Dad and Jasper's efforts. I saw him nod his head approvingly.

We only had two spades, so Jasper and I started digging the marked spots for the holes while Dad went with Emmett to find more driftwood.

…

The days fell into a monotonous routine of sorts. We woke at sunrise, we ate breakfast and we started work for the day. By the end of each day, we ate our simple dinner, too exhausted to fuss with it much. It was fish and yams mostly, and fruit.

Mom and Bella relieved Alice and Rose on the bamboo cutting on the third day when both girls hands became covered in enormous, weepy blisters despite the protective gloves they wore. Dad treated the blisters by draining the wounds and applying a topical antiseptic spray from his first aid kit. He bandaged their hands and put them on mat weaving duty instead.

Some people don't believe in popping blisters, but I always have – popped mine, that is. They dry out quickly and begin to heal immediately unlike puffy fluid-filled blisters, which are just painful and get in the way, especially when you're working on board a rolling navy ship racing across the ocean.

As every day passed, the hut looked more like a tiny house and less like a random collection of vertical and horizontal bamboo poles. Emmett added a door – it even had hinges and a handle so it wouldn't swing open in the wind. I don't know where he learned to make a bamboo hinge, I'm simply glad that he did.

The hut had four windows, one on each side with an awning. The roof was made of vertical bamboo poles over an underlayment of palm fronds and it extended over the the walls about a foot, forming an eave. Emmett harvested an aged bamboo culm, splitting the hollowed pole in half so he could cover the roof joint with the cut side of the pole, forming a ridge cap.

The girls made one large mat to cover the uneven floor of the hut. We moved in the dried mattresses and made up the beds so we'd sleep in a soft bed with freshly washed sheets for the first time in over two weeks.

It felt like bliss!

And so it was, that on the sixth day, the hut was complete.

On the sixth day, Mom's first batch of seeds had germinated.

On the sixth day, the pit toilet was full and I had to dig another one.

On the seventh day, we took a well earned rest.

It was Sunday.

…

A/N: I wait eagerly for your reviews. Also, if any one wants to make suggestions, feel free.

Some photos are on my blog. The link is on my profile page, as usual.

I did some research on bamboo and driftwood for this chapter – very interesting. The driftwood deck is genuine construction, which is where I got the idea to use driftwood for the foundation poles. I made the rest of the jungle building technique up, but bamboo construction has been used for centuries in the tropics and Asia so it must be sturdier than we think.

I don't know if rainforest timber is indigenous to the pacific tropics or only South America; I just went with it.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: To everyone who reviewed with suggestions, thank you – I will be using many of your ideas in future chapters, so look out for them.

Thanks to Anna and Julia for your unsigned reviews.

I've spent the past two days researching Polynesia (and painting my bedroom) finding lots of lovely information. Some of it, I had no idea about! See the A/N at the end if you're interested in a bit of history.

…

Chapter 8 – Pig or Pork?

"Boys, breakfast is ready," yelled Mom.

My brothers and I jumped off the bamboo scaffolding surrounding the house we were building. It had been four weeks since we moved to the new camp site and three weeks since we'd moved into the tiny sleeping hut. It was holding up well in the rain, only springing a couple of leaks, which we fixed a soon as the rain stopped.

Emmett had adjusted the elevation of the house when he couldn't find enough driftwood logs of the right size and quality to support the weight of the structure. The house would still be elevated; it had to be in case the area flooded during the wet season, but the first level was now set three feet off the ground instead of five. _If_ the camp site ever flooded, the house would be safe from damage unless the water rose higher than three feet.

The construction of the new house was hard work and our desire to make some significant progress had kept us close to camp instead of exploring more of the island. That was about to change today, when most of us headed off on a whole day exploration in search of edible plants and hunting opportunities to supplement our monotonous diet of fish, yams and jungle salad. Our planned trek was also a good opportunity to map some of the island and mark our trails. Mom and Dad decided to stay behind to act as sentries for the camp.

I think they also wanted some time alone together.

Over the past week, Mom and Bella had established a garden bed with Jasper's help and planted the month-old seedlings. More seedlings were being nurtured in a simple, tiered seed starter that Jasper made for Mom using split bamboo as troughs attached to the outside edge of two A frame ladders. He'd also constructed a fence with a gate, in a cris-crossing diamond pattern using the bamboo off-cuts from our hut. It would keep any animals away from the fledgling plants.

Emmett put his burgeoning plumbing skills to good use and constructed a watering spout for the garden that I hooked up to one of the bilge pump hoses so Mom could pump water directly from the stream.

The spout was ingenious in its simplicity.

It was constructed of two upright bamboo poles and a ridge pole, forming an upside down U. A crude bamboo tap projected downwards at a 45 degree angle from the ridge pole, filling a sort of bamboo bucket below it that moved in a see-saw motion as it filled or emptied. He sealed the bottom of the narrow bucket and cut the pouring end on the diagonal.

When Em saw how well it worked, he constructed similar spouts for the cooking area and built the promised bamboo shower stall, making Rosalie – not to mention the rest of us – ecstatic! The only difference was the inclusion of a shower arm and shower rose from one of Victory's bathrooms.

Bella weaved a couple of palm frond bath mats. She was getting really good at it as well, surpassing her teacher. Alice, not to be outdone by her husband, her brothers in-law and her friend, constructed a bamboo towel rack in the shape of two upside down Ts with three cross beams at different levels. We used a plastic bucket as a basin, and screwed a mirror to a tree, creating a crude outdoor bathroom.

"Come on, Edward! Stop daydreaming," yelled Jasper. "I want to leave in thirty minutes."

I waved in acknowledgment and hurried over to the dining area, sitting on a folding camp chair next to Bella at the makeshift table. It was one of Victory's cabin doors resting on two stools from the galley kitchen.

"Would you like some fruit salad, Edward?" Bella asked, offering me the bowl of brightly colored tropical fruits cut into even sized chunks. There was a jug of thick, coconut cream custard, sweetened with a little palm sugar, and thickened with some wild arrowroot we'd found under one of the palm trees.

"Thank you, Bella," I replied softly, taking the bowl from her. Mom poured me a cup of black tea from a large teapot. The coffee was all gone and the tea leaves were nearly depleted as well.

Bella smiled shyly, looking at me from beneath her lashes.

I'd been getting to know her a lot these past weeks. I really liked her, a lot. It wasn't just lust either, like it had been when she was unavailable and with that prick Mike. I still had the odd Bella fantasy when no one was looking, but there was much more to my interest now. Ever since she nearly died, I've looked at her differently. Before this fateful cruise, she was just another babe I wanted to sample – friend of Alice's or not!

From a practical perspective, if we were marooned on this island for a long time, she was the only female available to me, and I was the only man available to her. I don't mean to imply that we'd only be together for convenience, but a lack of any other options left us little choice if either of us wanted a partner to share our lives with.

"What time do you plan to return to camp, Jasper?" asked Dad, as he sipped from his tea mug.

"No later than five pm. I want to be back before it's dark."

Dad nodded. "I packed a small first aid kit for you. It contains everything you'll need for minor injuries, plus a tourniquet and a splint for more serious injuries."

"Thanks, Dad," Jasper said, taking the kit from him. "We're planning on heading in a northerly direction toward the mountain. We'll walk for four hours, rest for one hour and then turn around, following our trail back to camp."

"I want you all to be careful," he implored seriously. "Don't take any dangerous chances."

"We won't," assured Emmett, "But, Dad, we need to explore the island and find some game for meat – I'm sick of fish! I also want to know why seem to be alone here."

I'd wondered the same thing; so had Jasper. I don't think it had really occurred to Mom or the girls how unusual it was for a tropical island, lushly vegetated with a ready supply of fresh water, to be completely devoid of habitation like this Polynesian island appeared to be.

"You know, I don't believe it ever actually registered to me how strange that is," Mom said, obviously startled by her lack of perception. "I simply accepted it."

The girls nodded in agreement.

"Where exactly are we, Edward?" asked Bella. "Approximately, I mean."

"We're in the Polynesian region of the north pacific. The hurricane blew us around a lot, but as best as I can figure it, we're about 1000 nautical miles south of Hawaii, in, or very near to the Northern Line Islands."

"They're American aren't they?" asked Alice hopefully.

"There are eleven islands, but only three of them are US territories; the rest belong to Kiribati. I think we're fairly close to Kingman Reef though."

"That means we'll be rescued soon, yes?" Alice asked excitedly. "If the US owns this Kingman Reef won't they come and check on it?"

Alice was reaching. I felt bad for her.

"Alice, Kingman Reef is exactly what the name implies. It's a coral reef, which is fully submerged at every high tide. It's a maritime hazard – ships give it a wide berth if they don't want to get torn up on the reef. The US declared it a national wildlife refuge in 2001 and it's closed to the public. No one comes here, Ally," I told her.

"Then who the heck owns this island?" she almost shrieked, clearly disappointed, "And why aren't they checking on it?"

Jasper interjected. "Ally, if the US owned this island, there would have been resorts all over it with a thriving community and its own economy. The island probably belongs to Kiribati, and for some reason they've left it alone."

"So no one's coming?" she asked dejectedly.

"It's unlikely," her husband confirmed.

"Come on, Ally, let's explore and see if we can solve the mystery of this island," I said, getting up from the table after finishing the delicious breakfast.

"What shall we call this island?" said Mom. "If nobody cares about it, let's make it truly our own and give it a name."

"An excellent idea," agreed Dad. "How about _Isabella Island_ since she's the one who found it?"

I had been calling it Bella's Island privately, but I liked _Isabella Island_ better.

"I think that's perfect," I seconded, smiling at a furiously blushing Isabella.

Mom was beaming and the rest of the family was nodding, even Alice who had cheered up a little.

"That's settled then. I hereby pronounce this island will hereafter be known as _Isabella Island_," Dad decreed ceremoniously. "Charge your tea mugs! This deserves a toast."

We all laughed and complied, clinking our mugs against the others to make it official.

"Let's go!" boomed Emmett. "_Isabella Island_ waits to be explored."

Mom and Dad waved us off with a packed lunch of cooked shrimp, mango slices and waterlily greens wrapped in banana leaves, some bananas and bottles of water.

…

The jungle was thick, slowing us down as we picked out way through the undergrowth. We hadn't seen any animals other than some green iguanas and tree snakes, a few frogs and a flock of brightly colored parrots. The birds were pretty, but they wouldn't supply much in the way of meat on their small frames. Emmett would eat a dozen of them on his own. He was six foot four inches in his bare feet with massive shoulders. He was huge, and he had an appetite to match it.

Our sighting of the green iguana was significant. Its presence established that this island had been inhabited at some point, because iguanas were native to South America. Iguanas on this island meant they were imported. They may have been here for years, decades or centuries, but someone had brought them here and let them go wild, of that I was certain. Jasper pointed to it as we passed, raising his eyebrows.

The jungle was dark – the bright light and hot sun smothered by the thick rainforest canopy of banyan figs with their vine like tentacles. The forest was thick with rainforest vegetation, including countless species of palms and endless culms of bamboo, much of it mature. We took note of its position for harvesting. The humidity in the forest was so stifling, we were soon perspiring profusely.

We'd been walking for about two hours in a northerly direction, when we began to see a scattering of tropical fruit trees, other than those we had be subsisting on for the past five weeks. We easily identified guava as well as breadfruit, stopping to pick some to accompany our lunch.

"Let's stop on the way back, and fill our bags with the fruit," suggested Alice, who was sitting on Jasper's shoulders pulling plump guava fruit from the branches of the tall tree.

"I'm all for that," agreed Rosalie, who because she was so tall, rose up on her tippy-toes and simply plucked a ripe fruit like she was Eve in the Garden of Eden. "I'm fed up with bananas and papaya."

Bella chuckled as she picked three breadfruit from the smaller tree. "At least we _have_ fruit," she argued. "We could have been marooned on an island that only had palm trees and bamboo, because heaven knows, there are plenty of those!"

"Well, Darlin', a lack of fruit was only a vague possibility," explained Jasper. "The ancient Polynesians introduced fruit species to the region from all over the pacific, including from South America. There are fruits and nuts growing all over the pacific islands that are not indigenous to the region, and yet here they are," he said indicating the breadfruit and guava.

"What other fruits might we find?" Bella asked him. She liked to help Mom cook, and she seemed eager to vary the dishes they prepared almost on a daily basis.

"We might find some Carambola, or star fruit as it's commonly known. I'm also hoping we might find Tahitian Lime, which would be a good source of vitamin C."

"It's also good for salad dressing!" Bella replied, eagerly looking around for the elusive tree.

"What's that red fruit over there that's shaped like a pear but is red like an apple?" she described, pointing to a forty foot tree laden with fruit.

We all looked in the direction Bella indicated. Jasper got an excited look on his face and squatted down to lift Alice off his shoulders. "Hop off, Darlin', I want to take a closer look."

He strode over to the tall tree and picked a fruit from a lower branch, inspecting it closely. He pulled a knife from his belt and sliced the fruit in half vertically revealing the center core.

"Is it safe to eat?" Alice said.

"I think so," he said as he sniffed it and touched his tongue to the exposed flesh.

Alice gasped. "Jasper! What if that's poisonous? You could get sick!" she admonished him.

He grinned and took a huge bite, munching happily.

"Not possible, Ally. This is a Malay apple. The ancient Polynesians imported them from SE Asia over a millenia ago. It's one of the original canoe fruits and it grows all over Polynesia. I've heard it called mountain apple. Come taste it; it's delicious."

"Oh, I've heard of those," Bella said, taking the fruit Jasper passed her, "but I've never had one."

"What does it taste like?" Rosalie asked, looking at her own apple suspiciously.

"It's rather like a common apple – the flesh is crunchy and juicy with a mild sweet flavor. Try it," he encouraged.

We all bit into our apples. Its taste and texture was just as Jasper described. I'd never take an apple for granted again. It was scrumptious to my denied taste buds, and exactly what my body had been craving. I pocketed the seed for Mom, as we hadn't seen any trees near our camp.

"I wouldn't bother, Edward. The reason we haven't seen this tree at home is because they don't like to grow too near to the coast. If we want the fruit, we're gonna have to trek into the forest to collect it. We'd better pick some greener ones to take back so they'll have a longer shelf life while they ripen. We'll take some ripe ones as well."

"We'd better get moving, Jasper," Emmett suggested. "We've been in this fruit grove for over half an hour."

Jasper marked the position of the grove on his map sketch and we continued north, happily eating the crunchy fruit.

We found the coveted lime tree, as well as the star fruit tree about a mile and a half further north, near the base of the island's central mountain. The trees were heavy with ripe fruit and the ground was littered with fruit already harvested by nature.

We decided to break there for lunch and explore the area before making the return trip to our camp, or 'home' as Jasper referred to it. I suppose it was home now. The area at the base of the mountain was not as densely vegetated as the forest we'd walked through, giving us an unobstructed view of the mountain.

Jasper pulled his wrapped lunch, his notebook and a pencil from his bag to update the map he was drawing with our current compass position. He made notes on the plants and fruits we'd seen as well as their locations. He asked me how far I thought we'd walked today so he could compare it to his own calculations and approximate the size of the island.

"I estimate we've walked about five miles. My study of the island as we approached on Victory suggests that it's wider than it is longer. The mountain range runs the width of the island with this particular mountain being the highest at around 300 feet. Do you think it's still volcanic?"

"I haven't seen any evidence of recent volcanic activity, but it was almost certainly volcanic at some point. If you look to the left of the mountain top, you can see the what looks like the rim of a volcanic cone."

"Well, at some point, we're gonna have to find a way around the mountain to explore the other side of the island. A coastal route on foot will take too long, but we might be able to take one of the dinghies," I told him.

Alice and Bella interrupted our conversation to tell us they were going to explore a little. We told them not to go too far and to keep us in sight as we'd be returning to camp in another hour. Rosalie and Emmett wandered off into the trees for a bit of private time.

The rustling sound of their clothes being removed and adjusted was thunderous in the humid silence of the jungle clearing.

"_Oh, Emmett,"_ we heard Rose moan.

"_Oh, yeah, Baby, touch me there. Oh, Rosie, I've missed this," _crooned Emmett.

Jasper and I grinned at each other and wandered away to give them a little more privacy, resuming our previous conversation as we did so.

"Jasper, any exploration overland or by boat is going to have to wait until April at least. The wet season has already started. It's the start of September now; by the end of December we're gonna be hip deep in torrential rain, mud and mosquitoes. We've already had a taste of what's to come. We need to get the house finished or the next six months is going to be hellish, especially for Mom and the girls," I warned him.

"So we find another way of getting to the other side of the island?"

"You and I can plan some more day trips, perhaps even an overnight one before the wet season progresses too much, but the next dry season will be the best time for exploration," I told him, "whether overland or by sea."

"Jasper!" "Edward!" the girls shrieked.

We startled and immediately began running in the direction of their screams.

"We're coming!" yelled Jasper.

"What's wrong!" I bellowed, getting tangled in the tentacles of a small fig tree in my haste to get to Bella.

Jasper had run a few yards ahead of me by the time I got myself free. I sprinted after him and we skidded to a halt on the gravelly beach of a small freshwater lagoon. The girls legs were wet and bare to the knees and water stained their rolled up pants. They'd obviously been sitting on the rocks dangling their feet into the cool water.

"What! What is it?" panted Jasper.

"Look!" they yelled, pointing at the branches of some mid-size trees.

We looked.

We shrugged, noting nothing of interest.

"What are we looking at?" I asked them curtly. If they'd shrieked like that to show us another fruit, they'd both get a serious lecture about the hazards of scaring the men-folk!

"Look! There are chickens!" cried Bella excitedly. Alice was dancing around on her toes.

"What?" I scoffed. "Where?"

"There!" Bella huffed, taking my hand to lead me closer to the tree. She told me to look up.

I rolled my eyes, but did as she asked.

There were two chickens perching in the tree. I was mystified. How could there be chickens on an uninhabited tropical island?

I turned to Jasper. "There are chickens," I told him with amazement. "Two of them."

"Eggscellent," Jasper joked.

"I'm not kidding, Jazz! There are chickens in the tree!"

"Let me see," he said, pushing me out of way so he could look up into the tree.

He turned around. "Those are chickens!"

"What's wrong? Why were you yelling. Who's hurt?" bellowed Emmett as he arrived at the lagoon. He was still pulling up his pants as he tripped to a stop. Rosalie was close behind, buttoning up her blouse.

"There are chickens!" we all chorused joyously.

Emmett looked into the tree we indicated and licked his lips. I could almost see the picture bubble forming over his head with a roasted chicken in it.

"Let's catch them," he said.

"What are we going to put them in," Rose said. "It's not like we brought a cage with us."

"We'll make one!"

We all stared at him. Yeah, that's right; we'll just make one! No problem!

"Oh, like you all _want_ to leave these chickens behind! We might never find them again. How long will it take you girls to weave a loose basket from a palm frond? That should work as a cage. We can cover the top with our shirts."

An hour later, Bella and Alice had woven two open weave palm frond baskets, while Emmett guarded the chickens that were blinking at him sleepily in the heat of the afternoon.

"Okay, we're done," the girls said, bringing over the baskets.

Emmett crept toward the hens perched in the tree. "Get on the other side, Jazz. You grab one and I'll get the other," he said with determination in his tone.

Alice followed her husband with the basket ready and Bella followed Em.

"On the count of three … one … two … three!"

Em and Jazz made a grab for the unsuspecting birds, Jazz getting hold of his by the neck just above its body, and Em getting his by its feet when it stood up in alarm in response to its companions loud squawk of complaint. The hens immediately began pecking at the hands confining them.

"Oh, fuck!" hissed Jasper.

"Don't you fucking let it go, Jasper!" ordered Emmett.

"Give me the basket!" they each yelled at the girls, shoving the chickens inside and holding them down while Rosalie and I came forward with a long piece of palm frond to tie the shirts to the baskets so they wouldn't escape.

Emmett and Jasper held out their quivering hands that were covered in bloody peck marks.

"I'll get the first aid kit," volunteered Bella.

By the time she'd cleaned and dressed their wounds it was 2 pm and getting late, especially if we were going to stop and collect fruit on our trip home. We collected our belongings and the complaining chickens and began walking back the way we'd come.

We paused at the lime tree for five minutes so Bella could pick a dozen limes, while Alice and Rosalie collected some star fruit, loading it all into the beach bags they carried because we didn't have backpacks and there was no time to make another basket.

The loaded bags made it harder going on the trip home than it was coming, but the fruit was important and we didn't know when we'd come back this way. As we were making our way to the fruit grove for the guavas, breadfruit and Malay apples, I heard loud snuffling and pawing at the ground. As I entered the grove, I stopped dead and held up my hand in a 'halt' motion to the others.

At the base of the Malay apple tree was an animal. It was rooting on the ground, feasting on the rotting apples that had fallen from the tree.

We all stopped and stared at the enormous black swine with its razor teeth.

It stunk.

"It's a pig," I said.

"That's pork," Jasper corrected.

"Ham steaks," fantasized Rosalie.

"No … that's fucking bacon and eggs!" crowed Emmett ecstatically.

…

A/N: FanFiction readers: you're being outstripped by the TWCS readers on reviews. However all reviews are welcomed, read, sometimes chuckled at and always responded to.

Some photos are on my blog at: jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com; or the link is on my Fanfiction profile page.

Bella's island or _Isabella Island _discussed in this chapter is purely fictional, although the Line Islands do exist, as does Kingman Reef.

While I was researching Polynesia, I found out a lot of information. Here's a bit of history if you're interested. Feel free not to read.

_The ancient Polynesian forefathers were great ocean travelers or Wayfinders, crossing the Pacific Ocean in their canoes as far as the coast of South America; south to New Zealand, north to Hawaii, and West to Melanesia and Micronesia. They did this many centuries before these lands were discovered by the Europeans. They definitely traveled to SE Asia. The Kingdom of Polynesia was at one time immense._

_The Polynesians imported from these regions, many plants, fruits, flowers and tree cuttings as well as livestock and conversely, they also exported the same produce and livestock to other colonized regions of Polynesia, spreading non-indigenous plants and animals across the entire pacific region. _

_Many of these plants and animals found their way onto a great many islands in Polynesia include Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga and Hawaii. Wild pigs and chickens really were domesticated animals for the Polynesians, supplying them with pork, chicken and eggs. Pigs were often used as sacrifices to the gods and were at the center of all feasts._

_The Polynesian culture also mastered crop production producing seasonal food crops for their own use as well as for trade. They brought the Malay Apple from Malaysia and propagated the fruit on just about every island where plants would grow. The Polynesians are also responsible for importing to the region, the Tahitian lime as well as the star fruit, guava and breadfruit and many other edible plants and fruits._


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

Chapter 9 – The Hunt

"Emmett! What are you planning?" I hissed. "We've already got the two chickens, and with any luck they'll lay some eggs every day once they get over the shock."

"Yeah, but that big old boy over there is gonna supply us with pork products. I can taste it all now. Can't you taste it, Ed? Jasper you can taste, can't you? Tell me you can taste it?" he insisted.

We all stared at him.

"Bacon for breakfast … hmmm. Mom could smoke a ham. Roast leg pork on Sunday. Pork belly on Wednesday. Pork rinds … hmmm," he moaned dreamily.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, but I could see her staring avidly at the pig.

My own mouth watered despite myself, and I found myself falling under Emmett's pork spell.

_Roast leg of Pork … hmmm! I love Mom's roast pork. With crackling!_

_Mom could roast yams and kumara sweet potatoes in the pork fat until they're golden and crispy. I licked my lips._

_Bella can cook some taro leaves for a green vegetable – it tastes a bit like spinach. _

_Mom can make some pork gravy thickened with arrowroot._

_Bella could make apple sauce from the Malay apples to accompany the pork._

_We could have baked apples and coconut egg custard for desert!_

_We could render the fat from the pork for frying the eggs our two new hens are gonna lay. Breakfast on Sunday – boiled eggs, fried eggs, omelet, bacon frittata!_

_Bella could make some soap if she had the pork fat – she said she knew how if she had some fat. I miss soap, I thought sadly._

"How the hell are we gonna kill a wild pig and get it home?" said Jasper, interrupting my fantasy.

Emmett's eyes were glazed.

"Emmett. Emmett!" Jazz hissed.

"What?"

"Be realistic, Em. I want the pig as much as you do. We all want it!"

The girls were staring transfixed at the unsuspecting pig.

"But we need to have a plan. Wild pig is dangerous. We have no weapons, Emmett. The pirates took Edwards Glock as well as the spear fishing equipment."

"But I want it," he whined petulantly.

"We don't know what we're doing Emmett! We need a plan or somebody's gonna get killed or seriously injured."

"We need a weapon," I pointed out.

"Do any of you know _how _to kill an animal cleanly?" asked Bella. "How to dress it and butcher it?"

No.

Emmett pouted. If his bottom lip was any further forward it would have been touching his nose. Emmett got his meat from the butcher or the supermarket!

"I don't," confessed Jasper, "I've only ever fished with a rod or a spear, and dived for clams or abalone."

"I shot a deer once," I told them, "but I didn't drain the blood or gut it."

"Well, there is _one_ person in our group that is likely to have that knowledge and he's at home," reasoned Bella, "so I say we need your Dad!" she declared firmly.

"Right," agreed Alice. "Carlisle is our expert on evisceration. I certainly don't want to do it," she said with a noticeable shudder of revulsion.

"And it's a sow anyway, not a boar," said Rosalie.

"How can you tell that from here?" asked Emmett.

"She's lactating," Rose pointed out. "Her mammary glands are full of milk. Look, you can see her teats hanging down from her belly."

We all looked.

"We might have a better chance of capturing the piglets instead of an adult," Rose pointed out. "Once they're weaned, they won't need the mother."

"We _need_ to talk to Carlisle," Alice reiterated.

"How will we find her again?" Emmett mused.

"Just look for fresh water," Bella said. "Look, she's covered in mud. Pigs like to wallow, and we know she comes to this fruit grove looking for food. Her nest is probably close by."

The sow chose that moment to finish her dinner of apples and trot away, oinking softly.

Emmett dropped his chicken basket. "I'm gonna follow her," he said, taking off before we could stop him.

"Fucking hell!" hissed Jasper.

I just rolled my eyes.

"You girls stay here," I told them.

Jazz pushed his chicken basket into Alice's arms and we took off after Emmett. He was lumbering through the rain forest after the snorting pig, but he had the sense to remain at a distance so she didn't notice his pursuit and turn on him. Jasper and I caught up to him easily as we were leaner than him, and by tacit agreement we all continued to follow the sow. The temptation to maybe capture a piglet or two was overwhelming now that we were on the chase.

The sow slowed down a few minutes later as she entered a small wetland. We slowed our pace accordingly so we could sneak up on her and study the environment.

"Have you noticed the path we're on?" I whispered as we hid behind a large tree peering around it to watch the sow.

"Yes. The pigs must have worn a trail between their habitat and the fruit grove," theorized Jasper.

"Yeah, and it makes it nice and easy for us to find them," said Emmett gleefully. "Thanks Miss Piggy!" he snorted.

The sow trotted into the shallow stream, rolling in the mud by the bank before she scurried up the opposite bank and into the long grass.

"Do you see any other adult pigs?" I whispered to my brothers.

"No. You?"

"No."

Emmett shook his head indicating that he didn't see any other pigs either.

"Let's get closer," he suggested as he snuck forward.

He could move rather stealthily when he wanted to I thought, as I watched him enter the water up to his ankles. He half turned to wave us forward. Jazz and I looked at each other, then shrugged and followed him. We were here now; we might as well take a look.

Emmett was lying on his belly in the long grass on the other side of the watercourse, creeping forward inch by inch as we tiptoed through the muddy water. He lifted his head over a slight rise in the terrain before pulling back quickly. When he turned his head to look at us, he had a triumphant grin on his face. He raised a fist and opened his hand, raising his fingers to indicate that he saw five piglets.

Jasper and I crept up the grassy bank to lie either side of Emmett and looked into the sows nest, which was about ten yards away. The piglets were sleeping in a huddle against the skeletal remains of a hollowed out log. The sow was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did she go?" whispered Jasper.

"She trotted off that way," Emmett told us, gesturing to the west. "She didn't even check on her babies."

"How old do you think they are? I asked.

"Don't know, but they don't look like newborns," Emmett said.

"I'd guess maybe 10 – 12 weeks old," Jazz said. "Weaning age."

We watched the nest for five minutes. The piglets didn't wake and the sow didn't return. There didn't appear to be any other adult pigs in the vicinity.

"You go that way, Ed," Emmett said, pointing to the west. "Jazz, you go east and I'll take the center. Try to grab at least one piglet each and then run like crazy for the path. Once those little porkers start squealing, Momma Piggy is gonna come running."

"Yeah, no shit!" spat Jazz. "She's gonna be pissed."

"Watch out for their teeth," I warned. "They're viciously sharp, even at this age. If the sow comes back and gets a hold of one of us with her jaw, she could take a serious chunk out."

Jazz and Em raised their eyebrows in query.

I shrugged and answered, "National Geographic."

Jazz sighed. "Okay, if we're gonna do this, let's do it. If the sow comes back, we run for it, agreed, with or without a piglet?"

Emmett nodded reluctantly.

"Agreed," I said.

"Get going," ordered Emmett. "Come at them on a curve. When you're half way there, I'll charge them from the center."

Jasper moved the strap of his bag across his body so the bag was resting against the small of his back, out of the way before he moved off in an easterly direction. I moved off in a westerly direction when Emmett nudged me impatiently.

I kept a close watch on the area, looking for any threats or danger. I could see Jasper creeping quietly closer to the sleeping piglets when I heard snorting and grunting about twenty five yards to my left. It was quickly getting closer – too quick for my liking.

"Jasper!" He looked up.

"I think the sow's coming back."

"Shit!"

I turned around to warn Emmett and call it off, when he charged over the grassy rise like a bull. His head was down while his arms and legs pumped him straight to his quarry. Nothing was going to stop Emmett getting his bacon!

I groaned and changed tactics, running at a ninety degree angle directly into the clearing towards Emmett's charging form. I saw Jasper do the same thing. Emmett looked surprised when he saw us beside him.

"Momma pig is back," I panted.

We skidded to a stop in the middle of the tall grass when the piglets woke, alerted to a possible threat, and scattered in five different directions. Emmett went for the smallest piglet fleeing in the direction of its mother.

"Leave it! Go after the others," I yelled at him as I sprinted south through the grass after a piglet hightailing it for the muddy stream. Jasper went north, while Emmett went East. "Try to round them toward the south, back to the stream and the path," I ordered.

The piglets were squealing in terror as we chased them. The sound of the sows thundering trotters along the well-trodden path suddenly halted, and I heard her snuffling as the runt of the litter reached her. I figure, I only had one chance at my quarry before the sow would be on the war-path again.

The piglet was in the middle of the stream, panting from exhaustion and panic. I decided to follow Emmett's example and charge it, skidding down the muddy embankment into the stream. My foot landed on a submerged rock and I felt my feet fly out from under me, sending me pitching forward right toward my prey. There was nothing I could do to save myself from a muddy drenching, so I reached out with my hands, making a grab for the piglet around its fat little body.

I had it, and then I didn't.

The tiny porker slipped out of my muddy hands and made a break for it.

"Oh, _no_ you fucking don't!" I snarled as I lurched to my feet, giving chase through the shallows once again. I leaned down and stretched out my arm, grabbing the piglet by a back trotter just as it exited the stream on the other side.

"Gotchya" I crowed triumphantly as I tucked the squealing piglet under my arm.

"Get moving," yelled Jasper as he ran down the middle of the stream with his own piglet tucked under his arm. He looked like he'd been rolling around in the dirt. He was spitting something disgusting from his mouth, if the expression on his face was any indication. Stringy vines and green vegetation covered his hair and hung off his body giving him a macabre appearance like a monster escaped from the swamp.

"Where's Emmett?" I yelled.

"Here!" he gasped, running up the stream from the opposite direction.

He had two piglets – one under each arm. His arms were covered in thick gray mud up to his elbows and his bare chest and face looked like Bella's mud mask the night we were pirated. He looked like he'd been wallowing in a pig pen and he probably had been.

"Get going to the path," he yelled. "Momma piggy's right behind me and she's not happy!"

We took off down the pig path, running as fast as we could. Sweat was running down my forehead in dirty rivulets, flooding into my eyes and stinging like crazy. I tried to swipe at my face with my free hand, nearly tripping on the pot holed trail. I would have fallen had it not been for Jasper who ran up beside me and yanked me upright at the elbow.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Five minutes later, though it felt like five hours in the sultry humidity of the rainforest, we sprinted into the fruit grove. The mother pig was gaining on us, grunting angrily as she charged us from the rear. I spotted the girls where we'd left them.

"Run!" I yelled. "Pick up the chicken cages and the fruit bags and run! We're right behind you, but so's the fucking sow!"

Bella's eyes widened as she locked onto me holding the squirming, squealing, brown and white piglet tucked under my arm. She appeared frozen in place for a long second before she sprang into action and picked up the two chicken cages by their palm frond bows. She turned around and started running.

"Not that way! Fuck it! Right! Turn right!" I yelled at her.

She changed direction and hurdled over a fallen tree log about two feet high, the chicken cages flying into the air from the sides of her slight body like some type of misshapen wings. They banged against her hips when she landed making the chickens squawk in objection.

Rosalie and Alice each slung two heavy fruit bags over their shoulders and raced after her. They'd obviously been picking fruit while they waited. We had quite the grocery cart for our trek home. I expected to collect some fruit and perhaps kill an iguana or two, but never four pigs, two chickens and four beach bags full of fruit!

We kept running for another five minute, but we had to stop and rest eventually, because the girls simply couldn't keep up the fast pace with the weight they carried in this heat. To be honest, I was glad to stop for a little while as well, but we men didn't have the luxury of releasing he piglets like they did the chickens and the fruit.

I didn't hear any more snorting from behind us, so it appeared that momma pig had given up the chase, returning to the runt in the litter.

"Oh, my God!" laughed Rosalie. "You did it! You caught them!"

Rosalie launched herself at her husband and planted a congratulatory kiss on his muddy mouth. He juddered backward, but managed to keep hold of his balance and the piglets under his arms. Alice hugged Jasper leaving me and Bella standing alone, staring at each other awkwardly.

She grinned and stepped forward. "Well done, Edward. Well done!" she said, reaching up on her toes to kiss the corner of my mouth. The contact was electrifying.

"It was kind of fun," I confessed after a moment.

"You look like it was," she returned, gesturing to my soaked clothes and boots.

"Yeah, well, I chased mine into the stream and it tried to elude me. I won!" I told her, crowing a little.

"I can see that," she laughed.

"Let's get going," said Jasper interrupting my moment with Bella. "It's a quarter to four and we've still got a two hour walk to get home, probably longer carrying all of this food and livestock."

We hefted the piglets so they were more securely held under our arms, when one of the piglets Emmett was holding, took a nip at Rosalie's arm.

"Aghh!"

Blood was pissing out of the ragged inch long wound on the fleshy part of her upper arm, which had been exposed to the piglets snout as she hugged Emmett around his waist. He almost dropped the piglets out of instant concern for his wife.

"No! I'm alright, Emmett. Don't you dare drop those pigs!" she commanded him, her face beyond serious.

"Bella!" she barked, "bring the first aid kit."

Bella was already hustling forward, even before Rosalie's command, urging her to sit on a fallen log so she could treat her wound. Bella washed her hands with an anti-bacterial towel before she touched the open wound. Alice handed Bella the items she asked for. I watched as Bella cleaned the wound with antiseptic spray, making Rose hiss in pain, then she applied three surgical steri-strips - used to close scalpel incisions - to the wound. They would hold the edges together until Dad could treat her. Bella covered the wound with a transparent, adhesive surgical dressing to keep it clean and dry.

Jasper took one of Rosalie's fruit bags so the wound wouldn't re-open from carrying the heavy weight with her injured arm. Bella packed the first aid kit into her own bag containing the limes and she picked up the chicken cages. Alice picked up her own fruit bags handing me one to carry, and we began the trek home.

It was slower going with our heavy loads making us nearly an hour and a half late by the time we returned to camp at 6.30 that night. Mom and Dad were pacing worriedly in the light of one of the emergency lamps we'd had on the two life raft-dinghies. We'd been using them sparingly, trying to make the power source last as long as possible.

Mom and Dad bolted forward as we staggered into camp, coming to a dead stop when they got the full view of us as we stepped into the light.

"What the … " uttered Dad in astonishment.

"We've got fruit," said Alice tiredly.

"And livestock," followed up Emmett.

"Two chickens," added Jasper.

"And four piglets," I said, though my parents could see quite plainly what we held under our arms.

"One of them bit Rosalie," Bella told Dad.

"What are we gonna do with these animals so they don't run away?" asked Mom with equal parts exasperation, because we were late and she'd been beyond worried, and excitement because we had come home with potential breeding pork as well as hens for chicken and eggs. All we needed now was a rooster!

"What about Jasper's crab pots," Alice suggested. "They're made from the stainless steel rigging from the sails, so they won't be able to chew threw them."

"Yes, that'll work," Jasper confirmed.

We housed two piglets each to a pot and shoved the chickens into a third one, before collapsing onto the ground, our arm muscles aching in relief.

Dad stood over us with his arms folded across his body. "I thought I told you not to take any dangerous chances," he admonished.

"It was worth it," Emmett responded sulkily at being reprimanded by his father at the age of thirty-five.

"We need to take chances, Dad. We've don't have a lot of choices here," I defended our actions.

Dad nodded slowly. He inspected Rosalie's wound as well as Emmett and Jasper's pecked hands. They needed to be cleaned and re-dressed, but Dad sent us all for showers first. He told Bella that she'd done well treating the wounds. I watched him considering Bella. I suspected he might ask Bella to let him train her so we had a second person in our group with his medical knowledge.

I didn't know it now, but it would prove to be a fortuitous decision.

…

A/N: Thanks for all of the fantastic reviews to chapter 8, and thank you to Anna and Tink for their unsigned reviews. I always respond to reviews, but I can't if you haven't logged on before you submit your reviews.

Some photos are on my blog. The link is on my Fanfiction profile page.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Some of you are worried that I'm going to kill off Carlisle or that something bad will happen to Edward. All I will say is that I'm not planning on killing-off any characters. Thanks to everyone who sent me an unsigned review.

...

Chapter 10 – The Temple

It had been three weeks since we'd liberated the piglets from their mother and caught the two hens.

I immediately set about building the hens a nice, safe chicken coop with a run so they wouldn't escape and they'd settled in well. Ten days after we brought them back to camp, they laid their first eggs – one per day each for five days. The hens weren't very happy when Mom and Bella stole the eggs out from under them, squawking loudly in objection and rewarding Mom and Bella with pecked fingers.

Mom and Bella named the hens Prissy and Chrissy.

Every day, they chatted to the hens as they collected the eggs and cleaned their coop. I thought they were mad, but Mom insisted that happy hens laid more eggs. It was unfortunate that two wild hens wouldn't lay enough eggs to meet our demands. We'd either have to enjoy the eggs when the hens laid during breeding season and do without the rest of the time, or find a way to get more chickens, and a rooster.

The piglets were a little harder to domesticate. We had three females and one male. They called for their mother constantly that first week, and they weren't above taking a nip out of anyone who got too close to them – their teeth were lethal. We'd been feeding them table scraps and peelings as well as any overripe fruit we had on hand. Jasper and Emmett built them a pen using the sail rigging as a fence so they wouldn't chew through it, and they dug the piglets a shallow pond where they could wallow in the mud.

Emmett named them Bacon, Pork Chop, Cutlet and Pork Belly.

He called them by their names constantly until I swear they started to respond. I somehow thought they'd grow up knowing that _one day, very soon,_ they'd be dinner and breakfast and very possibly lunch as well.

Mom and Bella's garden was thriving. The plants were growing like weeds in the rich soil, warm climate and abundant rain. We were all praying that the plants would flower and be pollinated by the native bees so we'd having something green to eat other than water lily leaves.

Speaking of green food, Mom and Bella were walking along the beach collecting Purslane, a beach plant which could be eaten cooked or raw as a salad leave. They'd also collected a delicate seaweed from the rock pools called Limu that could be boiled.

I watched them gathering wild food, while Dad, Jasper, Emmett and I stripped Victory of her railings, built-in fittings and furniture and her deck timbers – they'd make a lovely floor for the house which was progressing nicely – the walls for both floors had been framed using a combination of driftwood, mature bamboo culms and timber from Victory. The roof was well on its way to being considered 'dry'. We'd used five of the largest sails to cover the roof, covering them with palm fronds and closely placed bamboo poles.

I planned on stripping Victory's hull of timber as well, but the strip-out was slow going – Victory was very well put together and she wasn't easy to take apart without specialist power tools. It was back-breaking, sweaty work. I'd pulled the small refrigerator out of the galley-kitchen as well as the burner grates off the stove and the racks from the oven. The appliance wasn't much good to us without gas anyway.

I'd asked Rosalie to have another go at repairing the emergency beacon, but the pirates had pretty much done a number on it, and when we'd checked the life raft-dinghies following our hostage ordeal, they were missing, presumably thrown overboard or stolen like all of the other navigational and telecommunications equipment. Rosalie told me it was useless – she'd already tried countless times over the past two months, but she humored me and got out her tools anyway.

I'd pulled the marine TV antenna off the broken mast – the casing was cracked and it rattled ominously, suggesting loose or broken components. I was dubious about whether Rosalie could even fix it, but I asked her to have a go at it anyway. She was also working on the 32 inch digital TV from Victory's lounge and the FM/AM stereo, both of which had salt-water corrosion damage to their internal electronics.

If we could get TV and radio – even some of the stations transmitting throughout the Pacific – then perhaps we wouldn't feel quite so alone here on _Isabella Island_. We wouldn't be able to use the antenna to transmit because it was only a receiver, not that we had a radio we could use to send a message anyway. TV or radio would be welcome relief from the monotony of island life when work stopped for the day. If we couldn't pick up any stations, we at least had the entertainment value of the numerous DVDs and CDs we'd had on board.

I called time at 12.30 and we broke for lunch for an hour and a half. We needed to eat, rest and drink plenty of water to replenish what we were losing from our physical labor. The humidity was increasing as the wet season progressed making us all perspire much more than we otherwise would have.

I watched Bella as she bent over to pick some more of the tender Purslane leaves off the bushes lining the beach. Mom was cutting bunches of sea-grapes that were sweet and juicy, but contained a large seed.

Stripping down to my swim-shorts, I ran into the water of the lagoon to rinse off and cool down. My dad and my brothers followed me in and we spoke of nothing in particular as we paddled in the warm water. Jasper dove down after a few minutes to check his pots, coming up with two containing a large rock lobster, four crabs and a selection of prawns.

"What's for dinner, Jazz?" asked Emmett, always thinking of his stomach.

"Seafood, Em. What else would it be?"

Emmett made a face. He was fed up with fish and seafood. We all were. If we were back in Hawaii or living on the mainland, we'd be eating beef, pork and chicken a lot of the time, so eating seafood of the quality available around this island, would have been a luxury to revere.

"I'm going to take this seafood back to camp and rest for awhile," Jasper said and he tumbled it all into a large basket he'd brought for just that purpose. He clamped a lid on it and scooped up his shorts and t-shirt to dress. "I'll see you all later," he told us as he picked up the basket and strode off into the trees.

"I think I'll check on Rose," Emmett told us. "She's been feeling a little off these last few days."

"What's wrong with her, Emmett?" asked Dad, instantly concerned.

"She says it's nothing but she's tired and a little nauseated."

"Tell her I want to examine her later. Her arm healed nicely from the piglet's bite but there could be something else wrong with her."

Emmett looked relieved. I imagine he'd been arguing with Rose for some time about whether or not to confess her symptoms to Dad. He swam to shore, picking up his clothes, but electing not to dress as he pushed his feet into deck shoes and jogged off toward camp.

"I think I'll help Bella and Mom." I wanted to spend some more time with Bella. She seemed to know a great deal about the plants and fruits that were native to the region and I was interested enough in her to find out why.

"I'll join you. It will be nice to spend some time with your mother that doesn't involve hard labor," Dad joked.

We swam into shore and slipped into our own clothes before picking up a water bottle each and loping up the beach toward our targets.

"Well, hello gentlemen," greeted Mom as she lifted her face toward Dad for his kiss.

"Hello, my beautiful wife. What have you been collecting?"

"Purslane, Limu and Sea-grapes."

"Limu?"

"Seaweed," Bella told him. "It will make a delicious vegetable once it's boiled and dressed with lime juice and oil.

"How do you know so much about native plants, Bella?" asked Dad before I had a chance to.

"From my grandmother. She believes in living off the land, using what the environment provides to us. She taught me all about which plants are edible as well as those that aren't, but which have alternate uses such as for building, tools or medicine. She taught me how to make soap and candles and how to extract oil from plants."

"Did you grow up in the islands?" Mom asked her as we walked inland along a natural pathway. I marked the trail, just in case we became lost.

"Yes. I was born on Oahu, but I spent most of my childhood and teenage years on Maui. My dad was a police officer. He met my mom at a law enforcement seminar in Seattle – she worked for the event organizers. They had a whirlwind romance before going their separate ways, until Mom rang him with the news that I was on the way. She flew out to Hawaii and they got married. To say that their marriage was a rocky one is an understatement. Mom liked Hawaii as a holiday destination, but she didn't want to live there and she left when I was two," Bella told us.

"That must have been hard for you, Bella, not having a mother around?"

"Not really, Esme. I don't remember my mother. When she left, Dad moved us to Maui where his mother lived so she could look after me while he worked. I had a wonderful childhood. My grandmother became my mother."

"Are your Dad and Grandmother still living on Maui?" I asked her.

"My grandmother is, but my father died when I was sixteen. He was on his boat fishing, when it capsized for some reason. He hit his head and drowned."

"Your grandmother must be worried about you," I commented. At least my entire family was together – but Bella was alone and so was her grandmother.

"Yes," she sighed. "I imagine she is, but she knows I know how to take care of myself, so she will refuse to believe that I'm dead until someone brings her my body."

Dad grimaced, then said, "My brother Eleazar is the same way. He is a great believer of the 'glass half-full' rather than the 'glass half-empty' concept. He will be holding out for our safe return, as will his wife Carmen and their daughters Tanya, Irina and Kate."

"Yeah, Uncle Ely is probably on the phone to the Coast Guard every day asking them what they're doing about finding us," I said. Mom and Dad laughed but we all knew that any government sponsored search and rescue was long over.

"Is he the eldest, Carlisle?" Bella asked curiously as she picked some more leaves and collected what looked like large brown nuts about the size of a large golf ball. We were quite deep into the jungle now, but I noticed we were heading in an arc in the general direction of the camp, so I wasn't overly worried.

"Yes he is. He inherited 51% ownership of the family agriculture business; I got the other 49%. Our primary crop is pineapples, but we grow other tropical fruits and vegetables as well. I wanted to study medicine, so I never took an interest in the family business, but _he_ did and he's done very well for himself and the entire family."

"What's your brand?" Bella asked.

"Sunshine Fruits," Dad answered.

She laughed. "I should have known," she said. "Every single fruit can in the supplies has the Sunshine Fruits label on it."

"We're just keeping it in the family, Bella," I told her, grinning. "Hey, how come you didn't know what a Malay apple was, if your grandmother taught you about plants?" I asked her.

She blushed and bit her lip.

"Um, well, I did know what it was, but sometimes people get annoyed with me when I'm always telling them what something is, doing something better than them or correcting them," she said quietly.

"Ah," I said. "You mean you're smart – you have a high IQ – and less intelligent people call you a 'know-it-all' and your boss who is an idiot, tells you to keep your opinions to yourself," I said and was rewarded with the flicker of her eyes telling me that I'd hit the nail on the head.

"Yes, except my boss isn't an idiot; he's just a chauvinist pig who believes that women should be seen and not heard unless it's to ask him what he wants for dinner. I thought it was better to let Jasper lead the way on the collection of fruit and plants. He knows a lot about foraging and survival and I didn't want him to think I was showing off, or give the others the impression that I had no confidence in him."

"Bella!" admonished Dad. "Bella, enough of that. We all need to use our skills and knowledge to survive. If you know something, then say so, because what you know may one day mean the difference between life and death, health and sickness, or happiness and sadness for all of us. That goes for the rest of the family as well. I'll make it clear to everyone over dinner tonight that full disclosure is not an option; it's a necessity."

"What do you think is wrong with Rosalie?" I asked, my memory prompted by Dad's edict.

Mom gasped. "Something's wrong with Rose?"

"Not really, Mom. Emmett said she's just feeling a little off," I reassured her.

"What do _you_ think is wrong with her, Carlisle?" Mom asked.

"I don't know, Maisy, but I have my suspicions," he replied.

So did I.

"Where are we?" Mom asked suddenly, as she looked around at the thick jungle surrounding us.

"We're parallel to the camp," I told her, "about a mile and a half east of it."

"How can you tell?" she said.

"I've been marking our trail and keeping track of our position with my compass," I told her pulling it from my shirt pocket.

"We'd better head back," said Dad. "Which is the best way to go?"

"Why don't we walk west at a right angle," Bella suggested. "That way we can explore more of the area."

Dad looked interested in exploring a bit, and Mom nodded her agreement, so we followed the natural pathway a few more yards until we came upon a small clearing, sparsely planted with trees, palms and undergrowth.

"Let's rest for a few minutes," Mom said as she brushed moss off a rock ledge and sat down.

Bella put her basket down on the ground and wandered around the clearing. I left Dad with Mom and followed her. She was standing with her head on a slight angle, studying something intently. I watched her pick up a rock with a sharp edge and scrape at the moss on the rocks. I certainly hoped she wasn't collecting moss for our dinner!

"What are you doing?"

"Agh!" she gasped, holding her hand with the sharp rock to her chest. "Don't do that, Edward!"

"Sorry," I said, chagrined. "What are you doing?" I asked her again.

"Look at these rocks, Edward. They're not random. They're actually laid out in a precise pattern like a road or a pathway and some of them are stacked in a type of platform," she pointed out.

"Let's take a look," I suggested, offering her my hand to help her onto the platform.

We walked over to a stack of stones that appeared random until you got closer to it, when it was quite clearly a monument or a statue of some type. Bella knelt down to trace some carvings on the stone platform with her fingers.

"Pele," she breathed reverently.

"What?"

"This ruin. I think it's a temple – a monument to Pele, the Hawaiian Goddess of fire, lightning, wind and volcanoes. I didn't realize that the ancient Hawaiians had colonized an island so far from Hawaii, but they must have because these carvings – these images – are thought to represent Pele."

I stepped closer to look at the petroglyphs carved into the rocks. There was what appeared to be a carving of the human form – the torso triangular, representing the female, surrounded by a number of swirls.

"What does this site mean?" I asked her.

"This would have a been a temple – a place of worship and ceremony, and perhaps sacrifice."

"Human sacrifice?" I asked with an involuntary shudder.

"Perhaps, but probably an animal – a pig maybe. This island was volcanic I think, so this figure of the female form and these swirls, might represent Pele, although she's generally believed to live on the big island of Hawaii."

"Edward, Bella, it's time to go," called Dad.

"Just a minute, Dad. Bella thinks she's found an ancient ruin. Come look!"

Mom and Dad hurried over, Dad helping Mom up onto the rock platform. They both looked down at the ancient petroglyphs carved into the rocks. There appeared to be turtles and groups of stick figures, possibly representing a family as well as the swirls and Pele images. Some of the other carvings were impossible to interpret.

"This site is obviously very old, Bella," began Dad, "your discovery certainly confirms that this island was once inhabited, even if it was a thousand years ago," he completed dryly.

Bella chuckled. "Yes, but if this ruin is a temple to the Goddess Pele, then it is possible that the Hawaiians visited this island until recently."

"Recently?" Mom queried.

"Well, two or three hundred years ago perhaps," Bella clarified.

"So, not yesterday or last week?" Mom asked sarcastically.

"Ah, no," confirmed Bella with a grin, "but it does explain some of the plants, trees and fruits growing on this island. Some of them are known as 'canoe plants', brought to the region by the ancient Polynesians. There are many more plants, which are thought to have been imported from South America, but they're unverified. The scientists, anthropologists and archeologists are uncertain, argumentative and intolerant when it comes to the possibility that the Polynesians ventured much farther than is currently credited."

She seemed pissed at the scholars inability to cooperate in order to form a cohesive hypothesis rather than disregarding any claim or idea that couldn't be proven without a doubt.

"Like what other types of plants?" asked Mom.

"Well, it's possible that a small type of pineapple made its way to Polynesia from South America, although it's generally thought to be an introduced species following Captain Cook's arrival in Polynesia in the late 1700s. It has also been hypothesized that other plants were brought from South America by the ancient Polynesians such as coffee, tobacco, cotton, chilli, cocoa, the vanilla orchid, cashew and possibly maize and sunflowers."

"Did they propagate all of the Pacific islands?" I asked interestedly. Her knowledge of the ancient Polynesians was surprising – I thought she was a librarian.

"Most of them, but it doesn't mean that all plants can or do grow on all islands. We may find some of them, or none of them."

"It's getting late, we'd better go," reminded Dad.

Bella's face showed her disappointment.

"We can come back tomorrow," I offered and her expression brightened. "It's Sunday, so we won't be working on the house." We'd been taking two days off per week from working on the house – Sundays and Wednesdays. The salvage and building work was exhausting and we needed to rest our bodies, not run them into the ground.

"Thank you, Edward, I'd like that," she said softly, smiling happily at me.

I felt my heart go thump, thump and I blinked. My attraction to her was growing every day. Perhaps tomorrow, I could find out how she felt about me.

We walked back to the collection baskets where Mom and Bella had left them. They looked heavy, filled as they were with sea-grapes, those nut looking things, leaves, the Purslane and other items they'd collected.

"Let me carry that for you, Bella," I offered, taking the basket from her before she could object.

She smiled at me. "Thank you, Edward."

Dad took Mom's basket from her and took her hand in his free one, leading her along another natural pathway in a westerly direction toward the camp. I wish I could do the same, but taking Bella's hand in mine would have been too soon since I wasn't positive how she felt about me. We'd been walking about ten minutes when we came into another clearing.

We all stopped and looked.

There was a wide set of stone steps, covered with moss, leading to another platform. In the center of the platform was a stone monument (Bella said it looked something like Pele's Chair, whatever that was?) but what lay beyond it was more exciting to me.

"It's a cave," said Dad.

"No, it's a lava tube," I corrected him.

I'd seen them on the big island of Hawaii when I visited the Volcanoes National Park one summer when I was still at school. We might have just discovered a way for Jasper and I to get to the other side of the island _without_ trekking overland or taking a dinghy by sea for days or weeks.

Tomorrows planned return to the ruins couldn't come soon enough for me.

"Bella, do you mind if Jasper tags along tomorrow? I want to explore that tube!"

…

A/N: Reviews are sweet.

Some photos for the chapter are on my blog.

Because of my renovation, I can't promise another chapter before the end of the month – I **have** to get this flat finished so it can list on the date I've agreed with the real estate agent! I also need to work on another chapter of Once Upon a Starry Night. Please bear with me for a couple of weeks, while I sort out my flat and get it listed, and then I'll have more time for writing.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thank you Petra and Anna for the unsigned reviews. My flat is now painted, cleaned and staged for sale. The photographs are fantastic and the first 'Open for Inspection' was this weekend. Photos of my flat are on my blog if you're interested. Wish me luck and lots of money!

Chapter 11 was supposed to be about exploring the lava tube, but what follows wrote itself instead. Chapter 12 which I'm writing now will include the lava tube, some adventure, excitement and drama.

...

Chapter 11 – Making a Move

"Edward Anthony Cullen!" shrilled my mother. "You and your brother are _not_ going to crawl around some lava tube we know nothing about. There are all types of dangers – what if the volcano is active? How will we find you if something happens?"

"Mother, this volcano is _not _active – we would have seen some sign of it if it was, and we haven't. Even Jasper thinks it's extinct or at the very worst, dormant. We'll mark a trail inside the tube so we don't get lost. Jasper has explored caves and lava tubes before; he knows what he's doing," I assured her firmly.

"Yes, but still – it's dangerous! At least in Hawaii there are trained rescuers if something should go wrong. And what about Bella? Are you just going to leave her alone to explore the temple while you and Jasper gallivant around inside a mountain? No! You will not do it! I forbid it!" Mom decreed.

I blinked.

She _forbids_ it. What am I, twelve?

I tried reasoning with her.

"Mom, exploring that lava tube is the best way to determine if there is a shortcut to the other side of the island. The fact that there is a temple right in front of the entrance suggests the Polynesians may have used the tunnel as a dwelling or a thoroughfare. If they did, then they may have already marked the way. Going through the mountain could cut days or even weeks off our exploration of this island."

"How long do you plan to spend inside the tunnel, Edward?" Dad asked me quietly. I saw Mom stiffen beside Dad as she lashed him with a filthy look.

I breathed an inaudible sigh of relief that Dad appeared to support me. "Just a few hours to begin with," I told him. "Jasper will lead the expedition as he's the expert on caving."

"And what will Bella be doing?" Dad asked, as he looked at an apprehensive Bella.

She wore an expression of concern that reflected Mom's. Maybe her anxiety meant she cared about me. Hmmm.

"Bella can explore the temple here as well as the first one we found. I'll ask Alice to accompany us so she can keep Bella company," I told him.

"Bella?" Dad asked.

"Um, that's okay, I suppose. Alice's company will be welcomed if Edward _isn't_ going to spend the day with me like he offered."

My ears perked up just as my eyebrows rose into my hairline. Was she _peeved_ that I wouldn't be spending the day with her? Things _were_ looking up!

"Alright, Edward," Dad said carefully. "_If_ Jasper agrees, I will go along with this exploration of the lava tube. But _…_"

Mom cut him off. "My God, Carlisle! Why are you going along with this crazy plan?" she shrieked. "It's a _fucking_ uncharted lava tube for Christ sake, not the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland! Am I the _only_ sane person here?"

"Esme Cullen!"

Mom pouted and crossed her arms across her chest as she glared at Dad.

"What?"

I hid a smirk at Mom's analogy – she'd loved that ride when she and Dad stopped over in LA last year on the way home from Louisiana. She made Dad take her on it five times, and she regaled everyone who would listen, with tales of how exciting it was. If I didn't know how concerned she was at this particular moment, I'd think she was jealous that she wasn't going with us!

"Esme, please be reasonable. We need to take _some_ risks. I'm not completely comfortable with the idea of this expedition either, but if the lava tube turns out to be a safe shortcut to other parts of the island, then I think we should exploit its potential. Our time is too valuable to waste it on an overland trip, or rowing a dinghy around the island with the wet season encroaching on us like it is. We can't afford to lose weeks of time with two of our number gone on an exploration," Dad explained.

I nodded my head vigorously. What he said!

Bella sighed and interjected.

"They're right, Esme. The Polynesians were known for using lava tubes as burial sites as well as for storage, and as dwellings, especially during times of war. There is an excellent chance we will find evidence of people using the tunnel, and perhaps a marked trail. However," Bella cautioned with a pointed index finger, "any trail will likely be marked with petroglyphs rather than directional arrows or an X marks the spot!"

"I suggest we speak with the others when we get home," said Dad, "_B__efore_ we make a final decision. We need Jasper's input in any case."

I planned on exploring that lava tube whether Mom liked it or not, but I was prepared to humor her now in order to put an end to the argument until I could corner Jasper. On the downside, Mom would have more time to think about our plan, and come up with a million-and-one objections. On the bright side, Bella and Dad _seemed_ to support the plan, with reservations.

We left the second temple site and began the walk home. The pathway extended for another three hundred yards before it petered out completely. It was as though whoever cleared the pathway, just … stopped one day.

"So, Bella," I said quietly near her ear.

Mom and Dad were ahead of us a few yards, so I deliberately exhaled a warm breath against the sensitive skin of her neck. She shuddered and turned to look at me, a mixed expression of shock and hope on her face.

"You seemed disappointed earlier that we mightn't spend the day together tomorrow? Alone," I added slyly.

She blushed, and rubbed curiously at the warm spot on her neck that I'd caressed with my breath.

"Ahm, well you did offer to bring me to the temple and explore it with me. I thought …" she trailed off.

"You thought what?" I asked her softly.

She glanced up at me from beneath her long eyelashes before she looked ahead. "I thought you _wanted_ us to spend the day together," she whispered.

I smirked triumphantly. I couldn't help it. I was certain Bella felt something for me _other _than friendship.

"Oh, I did – do!" I corrected. "But the discovery of this lava tube is too important to ignore. I still want to spend some time with you tomorrow before Jasper and I explore the tube. Would you like that?"

"Yes," she agreed without hesitation. "Can I come with you?"

"Well, in order for us to spend time together, that would require you to accompany me to the temple, wouldn't you agree, Bella?" I said smartly.

"Ha ha, Edward," she replied. "I meant into the lava tube."

I shook my head emphatically. Was she crazy? "No! It's too dangerous."

"Why is it dangerous for me, but not for you?" she huffed. "I've explored the Thurston Lava Tubes on Hawaii's big island before, and I can help you interpret the petroglyphs," she cajoled.

"No."

She narrowed her eyes and then said, "How are you going to stop me, Edward? I'll just follow you in, or explore it on my own when you're not around," she told me jubilantly.

Fucking hell! I ground my teeth frustratedly, all the while clenching my jaw until it ached.

"What, no answer?" she asked sarcastically.

I tried reasoning with her, hoping it worked better on her than it did on my mom.

"Bella, please be sensible. It's dangerous enough that Jasper and I are going to explore the tube. If you're with us, I'll only worry about you and be looking out for you the whole time. I'm asking you to stay at either of the two temple sites with Alice. Please," I implored.

"Edward, I'm not a child, and I have a vested interest in the lava tube just as much as you or any of the others do. I also have an historical and cultural interest in the lava tube."

I looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Edward, my grandmother is full-blooded Hawaiian. She married an Italian immigrant – my grandfather, making my dad Hawaiian-Italian. My mother is Irish-American, but that makes me one quarter Hawaiian."

"I didn't know that!"

"Yes. My grandmother's name is A'ala"

"That's beautiful. What does it mean?"

"It has a couple of meanings, but in regards to my grandmother, it means of high rank or royal," she told me proudly.

"Is your grandmother an important person in the Hawaiian community?" I asked her curiously.

"Perhaps, but to me, she's simply my beloved grandmother."

"Do _you_ have a Hawaiian name?"

"Yes."

I rolled my eyes. "What is it?" I said impatiently.

She glanced at me, smiling playfully before answering, "Manulani."

"And it means what?"

"It _means_ resembling a bird in the heavens," she told me.

"So your full name is …?"

"Isabella Manulani Swan," she confirmed.

"That's a really beautiful name. What does your grandmother call you?"

"Manulani," she told me, blushing prettily.

Resembling a bird in the heavens – a beautiful swan, I mused silently. _'Manulan__i,'_ I mouthed, tasting the syllables of her name on my tongue.

"Yes?" she answered.

My eyes widened. Realizing I'd called her name out loud, I decided to turn it into an opportunity to learn more about her.

"You mentioned a cultural interest in the lava tube. I now understand the historical reference given your genealogy, but why the cultural reference?"

"I'm studying anthropology at university – the study of human culture and our affect on nature," she told me.

"Really! I thought you were a librarian?" I knew she worked for the Hawaiian State Public Library.

"I am, but working as a librarian pays the bills; it's not what I love," she explained.

I understood _exactly_ what she meant.

…

That evening, I cornered Jasper, and Dad cornered Rosalie.

My conversation with Jasper was positive, with him agreeing to lead an exploration of the tunnel tomorrow, but Dad's talk with Rosalie didn't go so well. A white-faced Emmett backed away from his wife, when she started yelling.

"There's _nothing_ wrong with me, Carlisle!" Rosalie huffed.

She turned on Emmett. "I _told_ you that, Emmett," she spat. "It's just the heat affecting me, like it is everyone else. Why'd you have to go blabbing to your father? Huh?" she asked, pushing hard at his massive shoulder.

Emmett rocked backward on his feet and he wisely retreated a few more steps. Rosalie in a foul mood with fists ready to fight, was _not_ someone I ever wanted to tangle with.

"Rosie Baby, you know what Dad said about illness and injuries. We can't afford to ignore health issues here," Emmett whispered with concern.

"Rosalie, please let me examine you?" Dad asked her. "It will be painless, I assure you," he said in his best, soothing doctor voice.

Rosalie glared at Dad and Emmett. Emmett retreated another step before he spoke; Dad stood his ground having faced-down worse patients than Rosalie Hale Cullen.

"Please, Rosie, let Dad take a quick look at you and ask you some questions?" Emmett begged, keeping his distance. "I'm worried about you. This lethargy and nausea you're experiencing isn't like you," he said worriedly.

Rosalie clenched her fists and scrunched up her face before she shrieked, "For the _last fucking time_, Emmett, I'm _not_ sick!"

"Well, what the _fuck_ is _wrong_ with you then?" he bellowed, losing all patience.

"Nothing's _wrong_ with me, Emmett," she spat, "I'm just pr … pregnant!" she gasped before bursting into tears.

I didn't know if they were tears of joy or grief, but my earlier suspicions were correct.

Mom and Alice squealed with excitement, while Emmett stood in place, a stunned expression written across his face. Dad waited for the girls' furor to die down before he beckoned Rosalie and Emmett away to the former sleeping tent so he could examine a now quietly hysterical Rosalie. Although Dad's face bore the countenance of a pleased future-grandfather, it was overshadowed by the expression of a concerned doctor. Having a baby on a deserted island with no modern medical equipment or facilities available wasn't the ideal situation.

Dad waved Bella over to the tent for a training session in gynecology and obstetrics. As I'd predicted a few weeks ago, he'd asked her to let him train her and she'd agreed. At first she was stunned that Dad would even believe her capable of treating a serious wound or injury, but he'd convinced her otherwise, after a few conversations and a declaration of admiration for the basic skill she'd already shown.

Bella had remained cautious until Dad reminded her that if something should happen to him, there would be no one with the necessary skills to treat him or the others. She'd relented and since then Bella had been reading the thick first aid guide, which had been on board Victory, as well as some of Dad's medical journals.

Dad had already taught Bella how to stitch a wound using one of Jasper's scaled fish as a substitute for a human body. The fish looked like a road-map by the time she'd finished practicing on it, but Dad declared her competent, more than competent, in wound stitching. After that, Dad made us all guinea-pigs while he taught Bella how to splint and bandage various broken bones, dislocations and sprains.

When it had been my turn, I had to fake a broken femur bone in my left leg. Having Bella's hands on my skin, and in particular, on my bare inner thigh while she treated me under Dad's tutelage, made my dick want to stand at instant attention. I had to clench my teeth and think of something disgusting in order to keep Little Eddie firmly under wraps. Dad noticed my discomfort and he smirked at me knowingly when Bella wasn't looking.

The four of them came out of the medical tent thirty minutes later. Both Emmett and Rosalie wore cautiously happy expressions as they faced the rest of the family. Emmett's arm was around Rosalie's waist as he held her close to him. He puffed out his chest and wiped his free hand nervously on the leg of his shorts.

"Well?" asked Mom impatiently. Alice was almost bouncing with unconstrained excitement that she would be an aunty in about seven months time.

"Everyone, we have an announcement to make," said Emmett. A formal announcement was unnecessary, but none of us were about to take this moment away from Emmett and Rosalie.

"Rosalie and I, we're going to have a baby."

"Ohhh," crooned Mom and Alice as they hugged first Rosalie and then Emmett, but not before pushing him out of the way in their eagerness to be close to Rosalie, and the baby growing in her womb.

The rest of us wore grins of happiness. The first Cullen grandchild was on its way. I shook Emmett's hand, congratulating him, as Jasper clapped him on the back.

"How's it feel, Man?" asked Jasper.

"Bloody frightening!" whispered Emmett.

I grinned. "You'll be fine, Em. A kid couldn't ask for a better man as a Dad than you. Well … other than our own Dad, of course."

"Yeah. Yeah, of course." Em wore a contemplative expression. "Do you think I'll be as good a dad to this kid as Dad is to us?" Emmett asked us worriedly.

"Yes, Em, I really do," I told him.

"You've got nothing to worry about, Emmett. You're a good man, a great husband and you'll make a fantastic father," coached Jasper.

I watched as Emmett's terrified face smoothed into one of relief, pride and excitement.

"So tell us everything!" said Mom joyously. "When are you due? How are you feeling? Oh, you must be so excited?" she gushed, barely giving Rose or Em a chance to respond.

"Carlisle estimates that I'm seven weeks pregnant and it's nearing the end of October so I'm due at the end of May or early June," Rosalie told us.

That meant they'd conceived on the island, as we'd been here eight weeks now. Hmmm. The lack of birth control might be a problem for all of us, and as well prepared as Dad always is, I don't think he outfitted Victory's sick bay with a condom making kit!

"So the sixth bedroom is going to be a nursery!" gushed Alice. "We'll need to outfit it with a cradle and a crib, a changing table. We need something we can use as a bath. I wonder if we can make a rocker?" she mused as she made her plans.

"Oh, my God!" gasped Mom, pulled in by Alice's enthusiasm. "What are we going to use as diapers? And clothes! Where are we going to get baby clothes?"

"We have plenty of towels, Esme," said Bella. We'll cut some of them up to make cloth nappies, and we can re-sew some of our own clothes to make infant garments. We might even have been rescued by the time the baby is born anyway, so it will be a moot point."

"Oh yes, you're right, of course, Bella. I don't know why I'm panicking?" Mom said apologetically.

"It's understandable, Maisy," soothed Dad. "You're both excited and worried about being a grandmother, so you don't know what to think of first. It will all work out, Esme. You'll see," Dad said firmly.

…

Dinner that evening was a joyous affair and we celebrated with roasted iguana, caught in one of Jasper's animal traps. Dad quickly killed and dressed the reptile as he instructed Jasper. There were roasted chunks of kumara accompanied by Bella's purslane leaves, which she'd steamed and dressed with some of our depleting olive oil, sea salt and ground pepper, also nearly gone. Mom made some gravy from the pan juices.

It was the first time we'd eaten iguana since arriving on the island, mostly because we hadn't made any type of animal traps or weapons that could be used to kill animals cleanly. Emmett's face had a bit of a green tinge to it when the roasted iguana was placed in front of him, but he tentatively tasted the meat, craving protein other than seafood as he was.

"Oh, my God," he moaned around a mouthful of leg bone. "It tastes like chicken!" he declared joyously as he stripped the white meat like a starving man.

"It does?" asked Rosalie dubiously. She was staring at her own plate with barely concealed distaste.

"Yes! Try it," he encouraged her. "All of you, try it. You'll like it."

He was right. It did taste a lot like chicken. Bella was already eating with enjoyment and I assumed, correctly I found out later, that she'd eaten iguana before.

"It looks like Prissy and Chrissy are safe from the oven," commented Jasper with humor as everyone at the table enjoyed their iguana-chicken as the meat would henceforth be known.

"Like they were _ever _destined for the oven or the stew pot," scoffed Mom as she tasted her own iguana. A look of surprise crossed her face before she dug in eagerly.

Thereafter, iguana-chicken would be on the dinner menu at least once per week. We hesitated to hunt more than that, lest we deplete the islands population because we were greedy. We let most of the females go free, to ensure the species would continue to flourish.

For dessert that night, Bella baked a celebration sponge cake using two of the eggs laid by Prissy and Chrissy. She baked it over the cook fire of hot ashes, resting the tin on one of the racks I'd pulled from Victory's oven under an upturned pot, making a crude camp oven.

It worked pretty well actually, even if the cake did rise in a misshapen fashion due to the uneven heat distribution. The top of the cake had a chewy texture like the frosting on a Krispy Kreme original doughnut. She served the cake with fruit salad and something she called a fruit coulis, which was basically a strained fruit sauce.

It was a triumph!

"Now that dinner is over, and very enjoyable it was too, thank you ladies," Dad said nodding his head at Mom and Bella, "we need to discuss tomorrows planned exploration."

Mom scowled.

"What exploration?" asked Emmett.

"We found a lava tube today and Jasper and I are going to explore it tomorrow," I explained to him. "It's not far from here and it might lead to other parts of the island."

"Cool! An adventure! What time do we leave in the morning?"

Mom was flabbergasted.

Rosalie laid down the law.

"You're not going anywhere!" she hissed at her husband. "You're going to be a father, so you will stay here and build the house so your _pregnant wife_ has a nice, safe place to sleep that doesn't include sharing her bedroom with seven other people. No offense," she said gazing around at the rest of us.

None taken. We felt the same way.

"Aw, Rosie," Emmett whined. He back-pedaled when Rose shot him a filthy, narrow-eyed glare. "Fine, I'll stay here," he moaned dejectedly.

"Jasper, has Edward discussed his idea with you?" asked Dad.

"He has, and I agree with him that a preliminary exploration is in order."

Mom scowled again.

I tried not to grin.

Jasper explained. "I suggest that we plan a three hour trip into the lava tube. We'll explore for ninety minutes and turn around if we haven't come across an exit. Edward and I will mark a trail to guide our return. We're going to need torches, so we'd better make sure the batteries are fully charged."

"I also want you to take plenty of water and a first aid kit," said Dad.

"I'm going too," announced Bella.

"What!" I yelled. "We already talked about this, Bella. You _said_ you'd stay at the temple site."

"No," she corrected. "You _asked_ me to stay at the temple site and I didn't respond."

"That's semantic, and you know it!"

"No, it's not. You assumed, and you were wrong!"

"If Bella's going in, then so am I!" declared Alice.

"What! No you're _not!_" refuted Mom vehemently. "Neither of the girls is going in. I won't have it. It's bad enough that Edward and Jasper are going on this foolhardy journey! I won't risk losing the girls as well," she finished on a half-sob.

Dad held Mom around the shoulders, rubbing her arm soothingly.

I softened my tone. "Mom. I know it's somewhat dangerous, but it's worth the risk. There might be other food sources, or even a small settlement on another part of the island. We need to explore farther afield than the southern side of this island."

"Edward is correct, Mom," Jasper supported me. "We'll take all possible precautions I promise you, and Alice will _not_ be going into the lava tube with us," he stated firmly, looking at his wife pointedly.

Alice pouted. "Why not?"

"Because I said so!"

"Who died and made you leader, Jasper?" Alice huffed angrily.

Jasper's mouth tightened in irritation. "I'm your husband! Remember me? You promised to love, cherish and _obey_ me," he hissed a reminder to the woman sitting beside him.

"I knew I should have changed those vows," Alice mumbled.

"Enough!" Dad yelled. "Jasper will lead the expedition with Edward acting as his second. Bella, are you sure you want to go with them?"

"Yes. I might be able to interpret some of the petroglyphs for them, and I've explored lava tubes before, albeit mapped ones with guided trails and park rangers in attendance," she admitted.

"Alright, Bella. I want you to carry the first aid kit," Dad said. "I will teach you tonight, how to use a tourniquet, as well as how to staunch the bleeding from a deep wound or an artery, and what to do to treat a head injury."

I ground my teeth together until they ached. Just wait, Isabella Manulani Swan, until I get you alone!

…

I walked down to the beach while Dad tutored Bella. I wasn't happy about it; not by a long-shot – her insistence on joining the expedition, not her medical training.

I paused by the emaciated remains of Victory to take a piss, and then I kicked at some shells and rocks while I waited for my temper to cool. I wish I could order her to stay behind like Jasper did with Alice, and Rose with Emmett, but I had no rights where Bella was concerned, not yet anyway.

"Edward?" called Emmett softly.

I spun around. "Hey, Daddy." Emmett grinned. "Has it sunk in yet?"

"Nah, not really," he said honestly, scratching his head, "but it will soon, I'm sure. Rosalie will make certain of it," Emmett laughed. "She's already started."

"Yeah, I suppose she will," I agreed as I recalled Rosalie refusing Emmett permission to join us the next day as he had other responsibilities.

Rosalie was tough inside and out, and she didn't tolerate any bullshit. She didn't pander to ignorance, stupidity or the shirking of responsibility, especially when it came to family. She also wanted her own bedroom.

Rose was well suited to Emmett who was playful and fun loving, and soft like a teddy bear on the inside, but as tough as nails on the outside. He was a responsible, intelligent man who expected honesty and integrity from his family and the people he associated with.

"You know, you should stop wasting time and make a move, Edward," said Emmett interrupting my thoughts.

"What?"

"Bella. You should make a move. She's waiting for it it, you know."

"No, I didn't know. How do _you_ know?"

"Rosie told me."

"How does Rose know?"

"Our four women have been talking. You know how women are?"

Not really.

"What did Rose say? Specifically?"

Emmett breathed out a huge sigh. "She said that Bella said that she really likes you and she thought you liked her, but you hadn't made a pass at her or anything, so maybe she was misreading the signals."

"That explanation sounds like a conversation we might have had if we were in junior high." I said, shaking my head.

"It doesn't change the facts. Bella is waiting for you to make a move. What are you waiting for?"

I expelled a deep breath through pursed lips. "I'm not sure. At first I held back because she'd just broken up with that dickhead Mike Norton, or Newton, or whatever the fuck his name is, and then she got really sick after almost drowning. Between trying to survive and building the house, I just haven't had time."

"That's bullshit, Ed. You have nothing _but_ time. Don't waste it. Go for it, Bro, before she gives up on you, and then turns you down when you get around to it, because she got tired of waiting."

I tugged at my lengthening hair. It had grown out another inch. "That's the other thing that has me worried, Emmett. I don't what her to think that I'm making a move on her because there isn't anyone else to choose from."

"Well, wouldn't you be?" Emmett said.

"No!"

"Alright. Then ask yourself, if you would you make a move on her because the possibility of never having sex again is too depressing to entertain; or would you make a move because you have a genuine interest in her?"

"No, I wouldn't make a move on her _just_ so I could have sex, although I do want to have sex with her, but I felt that way about her _before_ we ended up on this island," I told Emmett honestly.

"So if you pursue a relationship with her, and ask for sex and she says no, would you respect her decision and remain her friend?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then go get her, Ed. I don't think she'll say no."

Emmett turned away to head back to camp, but he paused and said, "Actually, it looks like Bella is coming to get you. Don't mess it up!"

Emmett melted into the darkness as Bella reached me. Her hair was streaming out behind her in the warm night breeze. She was wearing a pair of denim cut-off shorts over her swimsuit.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked, almost standing toe to toe with me.

"Yes." I breathed in her scent. Her hair smelled of fruit.

"I'll be okay, Edward."

Her face lifted towards mine and I focused on her soft pink lips. The tip of her tongue slipped out to moisten the tender flesh of her mouth.

My dick twitched and my breath hitched.

"Will you at least do as I ask while we're in the tunnel?" I rasped out.

She appeared to be considering my request.

"Bellaaa," I groaned.

"Yes, Edward?" she whispered, swaying forward into the cradle my arms formed.

I forgot what I'd asked her, as my lips met hers.

Our mouths moved together in the tentative motions of a first kiss, tasting each other and committing to memory, the contours of each others lips. Bella sighed as we pulled apart. I stared into her warm brown eyes and traced her plump lower lip with my thumb. She parted her lips to allow my thumb entry into her mouth, sucking gently on the tip as she stared back at me.

I felt the caress all the way to my dick and I throbbed with want.

"I love your green eyes," she whispered.

I growled and gathered her into my arms as I bent my head to plunder her mouth. She returned my kiss eagerly as I felt her arms encircle my neck. Her hands slid into my hair, shaping my skull, and she scratched gently at my sensitive scalp with her finger nails.

I shivered with lust, my hardening dick pressing against the inside of my shorts zipper – I was grateful they were a loose fit. Pulling away from Bella's delicious mouth, I trailed my lips down her neck, licking and nipping at her delicate skin before sucking gently at the warm flesh I found in the crook between her throat and her collar bone. She moaned and sagged against me.

My hands trailed down her back and over her butt, massaging the soft cheeks with my long fingers until I craved closer contact. My hands slid down to the backs of her thighs, taking hold of the slender columns to hoist her upward, encouraging her to encircle my waist with her legs.

She needed no second invitation, twining her body around mine so that not even a feather could pass between us. She ground her hips against mine creating an electrifying friction that I wanted more of. I gasped and pulled my lips from hers, sinking to my knees in the sand with a panting, flushed Bella in my arms.

"Oh, Edward!" she moaned as I eased her onto her back in the sand. I followed her down, lying on top of her between her clinging legs. I rubbed myself against her, seeking relief from the inferno she'd fanned after only two kisses.

I pulled the shoulder straps of her swimsuit down her arms, exposing the plump mounds of her breasts and the very top of her pink aureoles. With just one little tug on the stretchy lycra, I knew I could have those perky little nipples in my mouth, but I waited.

Prolonging my agony also increased the anticipation.

Bella wiggled beneath me impatiently. Her hands were sliding down my back to my waist, and then to my butt. She clamped her tiny hands over the firm muscles of my ass, squeezing rhythmically, before trailing upward and under my white wife-beater to stroke and massage at the muscles in my back.

I groaned and reached for the zipper of her cut-off shorts with one hand, while tugging at the front of her swimsuit with the other. Her nipples popped into view, conveniently below my watering mouth just as I slipped my hand between her legs, rubbing at her warm mound through the lycra fabric.

She stiffened momentarily and I froze, panicked that I'd gone too far, too soon.

"Oh God, Edward!" Bella panted. "Feels so good," she moaned.

Encouraged, I slipped my fingers beneath the lycra suit to stroke through the short hair I found as I licked delicately at her swollen nipples. She shuddered in my arms and jerked, and I hadn't even really touched her yet.

Maybe that dickhead Mike Numskull had been a completely selfish prick in the foreplay and sex department. Bella was reacting to my caresses as though she didn't know what to expect. I resolved to make our encounter good for her.

Taking one of her nipples into my mouth, I stroked it with my tongue before pursing my lips to suck hard at the nubbin. At the same time, I slipped a finger into her folds, seeking out her clit and the warm wetness I hoped was waiting for me there.

It was.

"Aaahh," Bella moaned.

I moaned as well, because she felt so good and I wanted to be inside her, but I couldn't. It was too risky.

She was wet. Really wet.

I felt for, and found her swelling clit, stroking the tiny, hooded nerve center with the tip of my finger and letting the edge of my thumbnail graze ever-so-slightly over the top of it.

She jerked. Once. Twice.

"Ohhhhh!" she moaned as her body arched off the sand.

My mouth moved to her other nipple just as Bella's hand moved to my chest and she pinched at my own hard and sensitive nipples. I felt the sensation all the way to the tip of my dick as I felt pre-come leak out and ooze over the swollen head.

One of her hands trailed down my stomach to the front of my shorts where she palmed me through my clothes. I bucked against her hand, but I wanted more. Her fingers moved to the button of my shorts, but she struggled to free it, finally abandoning the plastic disc to slide the zipper down instead.

She reached inside with her small, warm hand.

I wasn't wearing underwear.

I almost came right then as her hand circled my dick and stroked firmly upwards a few times. Her thumb slid over my slit, collecting the pre-come as she massaged the throbbing head on each upward stroke. Her fingers formed a ring around my dick, just below the head and she massaged gently at the ridge, almost making me swoon.

"Aaaaahhhh," I groaned.

It took all of my self control not to come immediately, all over her hand.

I let go of her rock hard nipple with a pop of my lips and looked into Bella's flushed and excited face.

"Okay?" I panted.

"Yes," she panted back. "Why are you stopping?"

"Just getting more comfortable," I assured her. I wasn't about to stop unless she asked me to. I reared back onto my haunches so I could slip Bella's shorts down her legs. My dick sprang free of her hand as I leaned backward. I loosened the button on my shorts and pulled off my wife-beater, shaking it free of sand before urging her to raise her hips so I could slip it beneath her.

There is nothing worse for a girl than a wet pussy full of sand during foreplay or sexual intercourse, no matter how romantic sex on the beach might look in the movies. It wasn't particularly fun for the guy either. There's a huge difference between friction and abrasion – the former being pleasurable and the latter, painful. I did not want to cause Bella any discomfort.

Gently, parting her legs, I pulled the edge of her swimsuit to the side, exposing her core and allowing me easier access. There wouldn't be intercourse tonight, but by God there _would _be orgasms!

For both of us.

"Bella, as much as I want to make love with you, Emmett and Rosalie's announcement today highlighted an ongoing dilemma for all of us."

"The lack of birth control," she said.

"Yes."

"Well, we'd all better figure something out soon, otherwise Carlisle's going to be delivering three babies every two years until we get rescued!" Bella said as she pulled me back down to her.

I was encouraged when she said 'three' babies, because it indicated that she was planning on having a long-term relationship with me, rather than a convenient roll in the sand whenever the fancy took her. I had nothing against being friends with benefits, and I'd even had one or two friendships like that over the years, but Bella was different. I wanted a relationship with her. I wanted a girlfriend as well as a lover.

Our lips found each other again as her hand went back to stroking my dick and my fingers slid back into her slick folds, caressing the sensitive inner lips with strokes as light as the fluttering of a butterfly's wings. I stroked over her clit a few times and tested the wetness at her entrance.

She was wet. Very wet.

I slid a finger inside her, curling my finger forward against the soft, spongy inner wall just as she completed an upward stroke on my dick. I think the sensation of my finger rubbing inside her must have shocked her, because she yelled out and squeezed my dick almost to the point of pain.

Almost. But not quite.

"Aghhh," we both moaned.

I rolled off her, taking her with me so that we were lying side-by-side, face-to-face on the sand. I pulled one of Bella's thighs up and over my own, effectively tilting her hips forward slightly, and allowing each of us easier access to the other.

I kissed her hungrily, plunging my tongue into her mouth, duplicating what I was doing with my finger at her core. I pushed a second finger inside her as far as I could reach, curling both of them forward until I felt the spongy flesh that was her G-spot. I stroked it in tandem with the stroking of my thumb pad over her tightening clitoris.

She groaned and jerked, and I saw her toes start to curl. Her orgasm was imminent as was my own.

Her juices covered my fingers and hand as I worked her to a frenzy while her hands did the same for me. One of her hands stroked my thick, hard dick that was almost purple with blood and the friction Bella was creating. She paid close attention to my swollen head, distributing the abundant pre-come in a lubricating motion all over me and down to my balls, which she squeezed gently while stroking the sensitive spot between my sac and my anus with her index finger.

I was grunting frantically now. I felt my balls tighten just as Bella's own orgasm flooded through her body.

"Oh my God. Edward!" she yelled as she flooded over my hand, her flesh clamping down on me with an urgency and strength that was tremendous.

I wished it was my dick that was inside of her hot, wet sheath, being squeezed until the pleasure was almost painful. The imagery was enough to send me over the edge.

"Belllaaa!" I groaned as I came all over her hand, her stomach and my own, shooting thick, hot streams of come in rapid spurts that diminished in intensity until there was nothing left to give.

I collapsed beside her, exhausted and satisfied, for now.

I slipped my fingers gently from her body and gathered her close to me, cuddling her as we laid on the sand in the warm night air.

"That was amazing, Edward," she complimented.

"Yes it was." She was amazing.

"Thank you, Edward."

"For what?

She blushed beet red and whispered, "My orgasm. That was my first; well the first that I didn't have on my own," she clarified.

I knew it!

"But you were with Mike Newton for two years. Are you telling me that you never had an orgasm when you had sex with him?" I refused to call it 'making love'.

"Yes."

"What a fucking idiot!" I muttered.

Bella stiffened.

"Not you, Bella. Mike!" I clarified. "He must be a real dud in bed if you were with him for two years and he never in all that time, managed to get you off."

"Well yes. I realize that now. He spent most of his time making sure I knew how to get him off, rather than worrying about me."

"Why did you stay with him?"

"He was my first lover, so in the beginning I didn't know any different. But after I met Alice, and we talked some about sex and relationships, I learned what a selfish bastard Mike is. When I said that I wanted there to be more pleasure in the bedroom, he was all for it until he realized I was talking about my pleasure rather than his."

"What happened?"

"He said … no."

"He said no?"

"He said no," Bella confirmed.

"Well, fuck me!" I said, absolutely stunned.

"I kinda just did," she replied, chuckling.

I chuckled with her, squeezing her affectionately as I stroked her long soft hair which was spread across my chest.

"You will never have that problem with me, Bella. I am not a selfish lover. I want you always to receive as much pleasure as you give when we are together," I assured her.

"I know, Edward. I have no fear about that now."

I frowned.

"Is your less than pleasurable experience with Mike …?" I trailed off, almost not wanting her to answer in case she thought I might have been a dud in bed as well.

"Yes?"

I blew out a breath and manned up. "Is that what kept you from making your attraction to me more obvious?"

She propped herself up on an elbow and leaned over me. "You know, Edward, I could ask you the same thing; in fact, I will. Isn't it the guy who usually does the chasing?"

I gulped. Busted! I was one of those guys who liked to do the chasing if I liked a woman and I'd fallen short with Bella for one reason or another. Not all of my reasons were valid.

"Yeah, but not always. I know plenty of women who go after whatever and whomever they want," I said, pouting because I really didn't have a good excuse.

"Perhaps, Edward, but I'm not usually one of them. I made an exception for you, because I got tired of waiting."

I kissed her, stroking her plump bottom lip with my tongue.

"I'm sorry. So, are we together?" I asked her tentatively.

"Are we?"

"We could do this all night, Bella. Answering each others questions with another question. Let's just be honest with each other, okay?"

She nodded.

"Do you _want_ to be with me?" I said in my best naval officer tone of voice. I would brook no further evasive tactics from Bella and I would offer her none either.

"Yes," she said emphatically.

"Good, because I _want_ to be with you as well," I told her.

She grinned and launched herself at me until we fell back against the sand to enjoy each other again.

…

A/N: I **hate **writing sex scenes! I hope it was okay?

I wasn't going to progress E&Bs relationship quite so quickly, but a few of you asked me to get on with it, so I did.

Bella's grandmother's Hawaiian name is pronounced: **ah AH lah**

Bella's Hawaiian name is pronounced: **ma NU lah nee**

Quite a few of you guessed that Rosalie was pregnant. It is perhaps a predictable sub-plot, but not an unlikely scenario given they are a married couple with an active sex life, living on a deserted island with no birth control.

Bella's cake is made with arrowroot flour and palm sugar. This type of sponge uses only a fraction of the flour used in a traditional cake that uses wheat flour. As there is no gluten in arrowroot, the cake does not have the same consistency of a traditional sponge. A recipe I developed (as Bella would make it) is on my blog, if you're interested – it's not bad.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews. E&B getting together was popular - go figure!

I sold my flat for a good price, so I'm really pleased.

…

Chapter 12 – Lava Tube

The news that Bella and I had made our burgeoning relationship official was well received by the family when we returned to camp last night. Mom and Dad wore pleased expressions – they really liked Bella, unlike my last girlfriend. Emmett gave me a subtle thumbs-up, which I acknowledged with a nod.

"It's about time, Edward!" stated Rosalie bluntly as she noticed us holding hands.

Alice hugged her friend and congratulated her on snaring the last single Cullen male, commenting pithily with an inclination of her head in my direction, "His taste in women has certainly improved ten-fold over the last one!"

I scowled. Alice should try maintaining a successful relationship with a 'nice' woman, when one of you spent three to six months at sea on a deployment.

Now that we were official, Bella and I couldn't keep our hands off each other, touching and kissing constantly. We sat together in the darkness that night, talking quietly, and engaging in more kissing than we did conversation.

When we retired to the sleeping hut for the night, I allowed myself to cuddle close to Bella's back, hanging my arm over her waist, and tucking my chin into the crook where her neck met her shoulder. The single bed mattresses were lying edge to edge in the cramped hut, and until last night, I'd always slept beside her with a consciousness that I wasn't _entitled_ to sleep with Bella lying protectively in my arms. Now I was.

We whispered to each quietly while we had the hut to ourselves, knowing that the rest of the family would soon be retiring for the night.

"It feels so good to hold you like this," I told her as I stroked her belly.

"I know," she murmured sleepily. "It feels like I've been waiting forever."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We're together now," she soothed as she rolled over and snuggled into my chest.

I sighed appreciatively as her plump, warm breasts rested against my side, her hard nipples poking into my flesh. It was the best sensation in the world and I couldn't have asked for a better gift than what I had right at that moment. I stroked her arm and hair, humming softly until she fell asleep.

The next morning I woke abruptly as Rosalie lurched over the top of me. I looked up blearily from my prone position; Bella sprawled beside me, to see a wild looking Rosalie with her hand over her mouth trying to get to the door of the hut. She trod on five of us in her urgency to exit, and then I heard her retching in the bushes a few yards away.

Emmett slept through the whole thing, but Mom got up to tend to Rosalie, having experienced a similar malady three times before. I noticed dawns early light chasing away the night through the open door and I decided to get up and begin the day – Jasper and I wanted to leave right after breakfast. I wondered if I could order Bella to stay behind now that we were a couple, but I decided not to push my luck so soon after last night.

I left Bella sleeping as I reluctantly released her from my arms and left the hut. I was hanging the kettle over the fire to boil water for tea when Jasper and Alice joined me by the cooking shelter. It was little better than a lean-to on bamboo poles with palm fronds for a roof, but it kept the sun off the food and stopped the rain from extinguishing the fire.

"Morning," greeted Alice through a yawn, as she rubbed at her face.

"Morning, Alice. Morning, Jasper," I said. "Hey, Alice?"

"Yeah?" she said, trying to focus on me with sleep filled eyes.

"You met Bella about a year ago? She nodded. "Did you know that Bella is one quarter Hawaiian?"

"Ahhhyyeeesss," she said through another yawn.

"Why didn't you say something?" I asked her curiously.

She looked surprised. "Well … it never came up."

"When did she tell you?"

"She didn't, exactly," Alice said as she poured the boiled water over the tea leaves. "I met her grandmother when she came over to Oahu for Bella's 25th birthday last year. I'd met Bella a few weeks before when she came into my boutique to buy a dress for her party and we hit off. Her grandmother's heritage is pretty hard to mistake and her name is a dead giveaway."

"What's she like – Bella's Grandmother? Her name is A'ala you know?"

Alice smiled. "Yes, I do know. I spent quite awhile talking with her. She's a lovely lady and very beautiful, for a woman in her seventies. Bella looks quite a bit like her with her diminutive build, brown eyes and long brown hair."

We sat down at the table under another palm frond/bamboo shelter as Mom led a wan Rosalie toward us. She collapsed at the table, hiccoughing violently with a sour expression on her face while Mom went to pour her a cup of tea. Unfortunately there were no salt crackers available to settle her queasy stomach. I tried distraction instead.

"Where's the soon-to-be father?" I asked her.

"How the _hell_ should I know?" she spat. "The asshole's probably still sleeping!"

Jasper and I grinned at each other. A sickly Rosalie was not a happy bloom in our little Garden of Eden. I pitied Emmett today while we were gone. She sipped at her hot tea, and then burped loudly, an expression of distaste crossing her face as she spit into the handkerchief she clutched in her hand. Mom patted her shoulder sympathetically as she sat down beside her.

Dad, Bella and Emmett joined us a few moments later. I felt the smile of a smitten man split my face as Bella strolled toward me. I stood up so fast, I knocked my seat over, but I met her halfway, kissing her lingeringly before leading her over to the table.

"Did everyone sleep well?" asked Dad as he bent to kiss Mom good morning.

"Hmm, like a log," said Bella. "I haven't slept that deeply for months."

I hadn't either.

"Well, I know _you_ slept well, Emmett," I said slyly.

"Yep, I sure did. I'm a happy man!" he declared, grinning madly. "My little rose bush is gonna give me a son!"

Rosalie scowled. "Well I'm glad _you'r_e happy, Emmett, because _your son_ woke me unceremoniously this morning with a violent bout of morning sickness that I don't care to repeat. Tomorrow morning, _you_ can come and hold my hair back while I spew, instead of your Mom."

Emmett paled. He hated the smell of vomit. It obviously hadn't occurred to him that babies tend to spit up a lot. Considering Em's aversion to milk and yoghurt, I kinda thought that the odor and curdled appearance of partly digested and soured breast milk would probably turn his stomach. It must have occurred to Rosalie though, because she smiled evilly.

I sniggered and sat at the table after first seating Bella beside me. Jasper went to pack up the supplies for our trek into the lava tube, and Alice ran after him intent on changing his mind about letting her come with us.

I saw him shaking his head negatively, but that didn't stop Alice from arguing with him. Glancing at Bella, who was also observing Jasper and Alice, I opened my mouth to ask her to stay behind one last time, but she answered before I'd even uttered a syllable.

"No."

"I haven't said anything!"

"You were going to, though, and the answer is no."

I shot her a narrow-eyed look of irritation.

"You do as you're told while we're in the tunnel, do you understand?" I said in my most authoritative officer tone – it was good to keep in practice.

Her eyebrows arched.

"I mean it," I told her firmly. I wasn't backing down on this!

She sighed. "I will do as you and Jasper asks when it comes to our safety, Edward," she placated. "Please don't worry so much, Edward, I won't do anything stupid."

She kissed me and I couldn't help but respond, even though I was irritated with her.

"Now let's eat breakfast so we can go," she said, serving me and herself from the platter of food Mom had cooked.

…

Alice had a sulky expression on her face as the three of us prepared to depart camp for the lava tube. She stood with her arms crossed over her body, and she turned her face away when Jasper tried to kiss her on the mouth, his lips making contact with her cheek instead. I noticed Jasper's jaw tighten as the muscle beside his mouth began to tick.

"Will Alice be okay?" Bella queried Jasper quietly a few minutes later.

"Yes darlin'. She's got her nose out of joint because she doesn't like being told 'no'," Jasper told her.

Bella chuckled. "Yes, I know. Whenever we go shopping, she tries to convince me to buy things I don't need or want, and when I say no, she gets all snippy and sad. Sometimes, I buy something she's suggested just to see the smile return to her face."

Jasper smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He fell silent and Bella didn't question him about Alice any further. She turned her attention to me instead, taking my left hand in hers.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me a little about your navy career. I only know from … _Alice_," she whispered to me with a furtive glance at Jasper, "that you've been in service about a decade and that you're a lieutenant."

I felt myself puffing up proudly. I loved my career in the navy, even though it was hard on relationships, and I loved that Bella wanted to know what I did.

"Yes. I'm a lieutenant. I'm currently assigned to a submarine, the USS Hawaii. It's a Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine, home-ported at Pearl Harbor."

"What do you actually _do_ on the submarine?" she asked me curiously. Her expression told me that she couldn't imagine what was so interesting about living and working in a long, metal tube.

I chuckled. "I handle communications and intelligence," I told her.

"Intelligence. Does that mean you spy or something?"

"Or something." I said, smiling. "It _means_ that I gather information about potential enemies that might be a threat to the sub, the fleet or our country."

"What's it like living on a submarine?"

"Cramped!"

She giggled. Her face lit up when she laughed and a tiny dimple appeared beside her mouth. I wanted to explore it with the tip of my tongue.

"Seriously, it _is_ cramped with a crew of 131, but the Hawaii is 377 feet long, so it's not too bad. There are recreational spaces for the officers and crew, and as an officer, I at least have a cabin of my own, even if it isn't much bigger than a shoe box."

She nodded. "You get used to living in small spaces though. When I was studying to be a librarian, I lived in a studio flat that was little bigger than Alice's walk-in closet," she told me.

I could believe that! Alice's addiction to clothes, shoes and all things 'accessory' was legendary. Her closet was enormous by most people's standards, but I wouldn't want to live in it 24/7 for years at a time. At least in the navy, I get a break from sea deployments every three to six months, when I'm given a shore assignment, so I can live at my beach house.

"When was your last trip?"

"Tour."

"Huh?"

"Tour. It's called a tour." She nodded and then waited patiently for me to elaborate. "My last sea tour ended in February when we returned from a five month tour of the west Pacific. I've been assigned to a shore job since then."

"What do you do when you're not at sea?"

"Training and administration mostly, or sometimes special assignments or strategic projects. Sub officers on shore assignments fill positions that range anywhere from the Nuclear Power School in South Carolina to the Submarine School in Connecticut, but I was lucky enough to get a shore assignment at Pearl Harbor this time around."

She was silent for a long while and we were nearly at the temple site where the lava tube entrance was, when she whispered, "Do you miss it?"

I swallowed and husked, "Yes."

She squeezed my hand sympathetically.

"Okay you two lovebirds, we're here," Jasper chortled as he noticed us holding hands. "We'll take a toilet break first because there's probably not a lot of privacy inside the tunnel, so this is our last opportunity for three hours or so."

Bella crept off into the bushes while Jasper and I did the same thing, in the opposite direction. When we returned, Bella was crouching on the temple platform inspecting the petroglyphs.

"Find anything useful?" I asked her, leaping onto the stone platform.

"Not much here," she said pointing to the platform, "mainly more Pele symbols, but I'm pretty sure this is a sacred site because what I found lying in the bushes over there is really interesting, and unusual."

"What did you find, Bella?" asked Jasper.

"I found a tiki statue buried in the bushes. It's suffered greatly from erosion damage, but it's definitely a Hawaiian god."

I frowned and asked, "Why is finding a tiki unusual? I would have thought statues would have been commonplace in Polynesian culture."

"They are," she told us, "but it's who this tiki represents that I find strange."

"Do you know which god?" Jasper asked.

"I'm pretty sure it's Kamapua'a – the hog-child, but I can't be positive until I study it further because there's a lot of damage. He was a demi-god and Pele's sometimes lover, but they had a stormy relationship. She ran from him most of the time. I'm not sure why _his_ tiki is here on an island that quite clearly worships Pele – she was always trying to flee from him not draw him closer."

"Well, I don't 'spose it makes any difference now," said Jasper.

I nodded, but Bella's interest in the tiki was an opportunity not to be missed. "Why don't you study the tiki so you can report on it to the rest of us later," I suggested, my fingers crossed behind my back, "while Jasper and I explore the tunnel?"

She raised her eyebrows, smiled and shook her head.

"Let's go," she said as she stood up.

I scowled but grasped the hand she held out to me as we stepped up to the tunnel entrance behind Jasper. I held a flashlight in my other hand as did Jasper and Bella.

The tunnel entrance was small, necessitating that we crouch down to pass on through for about six feet, but the cave behind was anything but. It was large, dark and humid with a high ceiling and boulders littering the cave floor. They were covered in thick layers of moss and there were a few ferns growing close to the doorway where they could capture what little sunlight penetrated through the tunnel into the cave.

We arced our flashlights around the cave. I was looking for another tunnel and I found it tucked in behind a mountain of boulders at the opposite end of the lava cave. Bella was studying the walls.

"It looks like the tunnel has collapsed at some point, forming this cave," explained Jasper.

"Is it safe?" I asked him, hoping desperately that he'd say yes.

"I believe so. The collapse occurred a long time ago if the growth of moss and other vegetation is any indication. To be on the safe side, don't make any high-pitched noises or displace any rocks or mineral formations we might find."

I nodded and Bella did the same. "There's another tunnel over there," I said, gesturing to the back of the cave with my flashlight. "It's hidden behind those fallen boulders."

Bella headed over there, shining the flashlight down the long narrow space.

"It looks clear," she said, her voice echoing slightly in the enclosed space.

"Let's go," I said eager to be gone. "Jasper, you go first, Bella second and I'll bring up the rear," I commanded.

Jasper and Bella nodded, falling into line as I fell in behind Bella. She adjusted the home-made backpack hugging her shoulders into a more comfortable position. Alice had weaved some straps and sewn them onto the beach bags so they'd be easier to carry. The bottom of the bag rested in the small of her back, skimming the top of her shapely ass. It swayed from side to side as Bella's hips moved drawing my gaze to the soft cheeks I suddenly ached to squeeze.

I wiped a line of sweat from my brow. Maybe later.

"The tube looks promising so far," Jasper commented. "It has a diameter of about eight feet, and so far I've only noticed a slight incline. As long as it doesn't rise too steeply, it should be a fairly easy trip."

"How long do you think it will be?" I asked Jasper.

"I'm not sure. It could be a few hundred yards to a few hundred feet or so, perhaps longer."

"It's amazing how round and smooth the walls are," Bella commented as she stroked her hand along the tunnel wall. "I mean, it's rough hewn as though hand-chipped with a chisel, but it wasn't – nature created this in all her fiery glory leaving behind a perfectly natural tunnel by following the route of least resistance. Amazing," she said with awe evident in her voice.

I smiled, simply happy that she was happy. I grabbed hold of her hand and moved in beside her so that we both followed Jasper, the bright arc of his flashlight leading the way.

"Look at the colors of the walls, Edward, these blues and yellows and these carvings. The prior inhabitants definitely used these tunnels."

"What symbols do you recognize, Bella?" asked Jasper.

"I've seen symbols for the canoe, fish, guide and the hunter so far."

We'd been walking about ten minutes along the sometimes straight and sometimes curving tunnel when we came upon a crossroads of sorts. Two tunnels intersected, creating four possible directions – the tube we were in coming from the south as well as north, west and east.

_Which way?_

"Which way?" Jasper verbalized my unasked question. We each shone our flashlights down the three new tunnels trying to see what lay ten or fifteen feet ahead.

Bella let go of my hand to study the rock carvings on the walls where the tunnel intersected. She traced them delicately with her fingertips, looking from one series of drawings to another, before finally nodding, apparently satisfied with her interpretation.

"I believe we have two possibilities," Bella said. "We can go west following the fishing symbols or we can go east following the family symbols."

"Not north?" I asked disappointed. North is the direction I wanted to go.

"Nah uh," she said shaking her head. "I don't believe so. There are no symbols marking the sides of the northern tunnel. I think we need to go east or west."

"Which way?" I asked the others. I would go with whatever they decided.

"West," they said together, grinning.

"West it is," I said marking the tunnel we planned to take in a red marking pen, with the letter 'W'. Jasper marked the eastern tunnel while Bella marked the southern tunnel we'd just exited. I marked the northern tunnel with an 'N' and an 'X'.

We headed west. The floor of the tunnel began to descend about twenty-five yards into the tunnel. After another fifty yards, we began to detect the faint glow of sunlight ahead. A few minutes later we entered an area that was wider than the section we just exited. It had a window in the tunnel ceiling – a natural skylight, which allowed the bright sunshine to flood the cave.

"This is where the ceiling has collapsed at some point, exposing the tunnel to the elements," Jasper said.

A tree grew in the center of the cave, its canopy growing through the hole in the ceiling.

"We can climb the tree to have a look outside to try and pinpoint our position," I suggested, slinging off my own home-made backpack, ready to climb the tree.

"We could, but I don't think that will be necessary. I believe we're very near to an exit because the tunnel ceiling is close to the outside surface, and I can hear the ocean."

I listened carefully for the sound of waves crashing against the shore. "I think you're right!"

I took Bella's hand in mine to lead her down the tunnel. "Watch your feet, Bella; the floor of the tunnel is uneven ahead."

"Okay."

As we ventured further down the tunnel, the air tasted fresher. Bella took a few deep breaths and I got the feeling she was relieved we'd be exiting soon. As interested in the tube as we all were, the musty, stale air we'd been breathing for the past hour left a desiccated taste and sensation in our mouths and noses.

As the tunnel began to turn to the left slightly, the sound of the wind whistling through the tunnel drowned out the sounds of the crashing waves we'd heard earlier. The climate in the tunnel changed from hot and still, to cold and windy in a matter of seconds.

The exit must be close, but I couldn't see sunlight yet. Wait, there it is, a pinpoint of white, bright light showing us the way out.

A fine volcanic grit saturated the air, replacing the fleeting freshness of a few moments ago with a thick layer of grit that we were actually able to see. It settled into the crevices of our exposed skin abrading us like a piece of wood in a sand-blasting machine, and it coated the inside of our noses, mouths and eyes.

Bella immediately brought her hand holding the flashlight protectively to her face to prevent the fine volcanic grit from blinding her, but as she did so, the wind gusted violently, pulling at our clothes and Bella's long hair in its high ponytail. The long mahogany strands became caught in the whirling eddies, wrapping the tresses around her face and neck.

She became so focused on releasing her hair, that she pulled her hand from mine and dropped her flashlight to the floor. I heard it bounce dully like a flat basket ball and then it clattered through a hole I hadn't noticed in the confusion caused by the wind. I could see a faint glow of light as it shone from another tube or a cave that lay directly below us.

"Where the hell is this wind coming from?" yelled Jasper a few feet in front of us. His voice was carried away by the howling eddies so I barely heard him.

"I don't know," I yelled back as I tried to steady Bella who was flailing arms about, still trying to control her hair.

She was so slight that the gusting wind was nearly lifting her off her feet. I was almost afraid it would carry her away if I didn't grab hold of her. I could see muddy tears streaming down her dusty face from eyes irritated by the volcanic dust and probably sand as well. One hand was rubbing at her eyes and the other was holding onto her hair as I reached out to her, when another gust of wind knocked her off balance and into the tunnel wall.

"Aghhh!" she screamed as she felt her feet fly out from under her.

"Bella!"

The curve of her back connected with the rough tunnel wall and she cracked her head on a protruding lava bulge. I couldn't hear the sound of the crack over the howling wind, but I know it must have been hard and loud, because Bella's head ricochet off the wall and her eyes rolled back in her head. She involuntarily slid down the wall rather like a stunned fish before I could reach her, and she rolled toward the hole in the floor where the flashlight had fallen through.

"Bella!" I screamed as I dropped my own flashlight.

Her body came to a stop, face down in the grit with her arm through the hole in the floor. I was only motionless for about a second, but it felt like a lifetime before I leapt into motion and rushed toward her. I could see blood flowing freely from a wound on the back of her head.

"Jasper!" I yelled.

He looked up from where he'd been staring at the floor where Bella laid, a horrified expression on his face. He had seen something I hadn't, and it was too late to warn me, but he tried.

"Edward, no! Don't! Just wa …" but it was too late.

I crashed to my knees on the tunnel floor beside an unconscious Bella, when an awful sinking sensation overcame my body. I looked up at Jasper's white face as the tunnel floor collapsed out from under us, taking Bella and I with it.

"Edwaaard!" I heard Jasper scream.

I caught a brief glimpse of his terrified face as I plummeted through the hole. I heard a thud as Bella's body hit the floor below me. I prayed that I wouldn't land on top of her as my training and reflexes kicked in. I rolled myself into a protective ball, tucking my head against my chest and belly and bringing my knees up. I knew I would hit hard, but I'd roll instead of landing on my head – breaking my neck; or my feet – breaking my legs in an uncontrolled fall.

My body's impact with the tunnel was jarring and fucking painful. I had the wind knocked out of me and I did roll as I anticipated, but the floor was covered in sharp rocks that pierced my exposed skin.

I must have passed out for a while, because when I came to, Jasper was yelling at me from above, his ring voice surrounded me. It was hoarse with effort and fear.

"Ja …" I coughed. "Jasper?" I moaned. My voice sounded weak even to my own ears. "Jasper?" I tried again, a bit louder this time.

"Edward! Oh, thank God! Are you alright?"

I coughed again. My chest hurt, and come to think of it, so did my right arm, which lay unmoving beside me. The angle felt strange and it hurt like a mother-fucker, if truth be told.

"Yeah, I'm alive," I croaked.

_Bella. Where's Bella? I thought frantically._

"Bella? Bella!" I yelled as I tried to roll to my side so I could lever up onto my knees. My arm wouldn't co-operate and it flopped useless beside me as I sat back on my calves and feet. The change in weight distribution as I moved from a prone to a sitting position intensified the pain in my arm until I thought I might vomit. I groaned, and swallowed hard, forcing the saliva flooding my mouth back down my gullet, gagging as I did so.

"What's wrong, Ed?" Jasper asked frantically.

"I can't find Bella and I think my arm's broken," I told him as I cradled the limb along my left forearm. My skin was sticky with blood and I felt it drip, drip, drip onto my exposed knees through my torn jeans.

"Shit!" I groaned.

"Fucking hell! Can you see the flashlight that fell down there; I can still see a faint glow?" Jasper asked me.

I looked around. It was so fucking dark down here, I couldn't see shit. I spotted the flashlight about six feet away lying at a 45 degree angle against the left side of the cave wall with its light pointed downward into a recess in the floor. The light seemed to be fading fast – it must have been damaged when it dropped through the floor.

"Yes. I see it."

"Can you reach it?"

"I think so. Can you see Bella from up there, Jasper?"

"No. You're too deep and the light from my flashlight won't reach that far. I can see your flashlight glow, but that's all. I can't see either of you," he told me.

"Bella! Belllaa!" I yelled insistently. I'd have to find her on my own.

I heard her moan.

"Bella! Bella! Wake up! Where are you?" I begged frantically.

She moaned again and I thought the sound came from my right; the same side as my broken arm.

Fucking fantastic! The damaged flashlight was on my left, which I thought I could reach by shuffling along on my knees, but Bella was on my right.

Fuuuccckk!

Did I expend energy going for the failing flashlight, or did I go to Bella's aid? My heart said, _go to Bella_, but my brain said, _get the flashlight_!

She moaned again. The sound was faint, but it was definitely Bella.

"I heard her moan Jasper. She's alive!" I sobbed, utterly relieved. I couldn't lose her so soon after claiming her as mine.

Jasper began yelling her name from above. His insistent voice echoed around the cavern we were trapped in, making my ears ring uncomfortably. It was probably a similar echo that roused me from my own unconsciousness, so I let him continue yelling her name a few more times, before I shouted at him to stop so I could listen for her response.

"E … Edw … Edward?" I heard pitifully.

"Yes! Bella, I'm here! Where are you, sweetheart?"

"Hmmm." I could hear her roll her lips, trying to moisten the dry membranes with her tongue. "Thirsty."

"I'll give you some water in a minute," I promised her, "just keep talking, so I can find my way to you."

"Can't see," she moaned, fear edging into her voice.

"I know, baby, but it's dark down here. I can't see anything either."

"Wha … happ'd?" she slurred.

"We fell through a hole in the tunnel floor," I explained as I shuffled my way slowly toward her voice. It was difficult with my arms immobilized but I managed it for a few feet, before I began to lose my balance. I let go of my broken arm, to break my fall with my left hand. I felt the useless limb drag across my stomach and hips and I gulped sickeningly as I felt the jagged bone protruding from my forearm scrape against my torso.

"Wind."

I swallowed back the urge to spew and concentrated on Bella's voice. "Yes," I clipped out through gritted teeth, "the ocean wind gusted into the tunnel through the exit we were walking toward. It knocked you off balance."

I dragged myself over to Bella on my knees, using my left hand to keep me steady and upright. I was sweating profusely by the time I felt her sneakered foot beside my leg.

"Bella, I'm here. I'm beside your legs."

"'kay," she slurred.

"Do you have any broken bones? Can you move your limbs?" I asked her.

I could hear and feel her moving her arms and legs in a sliding fashion against the rough floor.

"Yes. Head hur … hurts, bu' nuffins bro … broken," she told me. "Tired."

I was worried about her head injury.

"I know, but you can't sleep, Bella. You need to stay awake. You stay awake, do you understand me? You. Stay. Awake!" I ordered.

"'kay."

"Jasper!" I called.

"Yeah?"

"I've reached Bella. She's alive, but she's got a head injury. I can't get us out of here with my broken arm. You need to go for help."

"Alright. What do you need before I go? Do you still have your back pack?"

It wasn't until Jasper mentioned it, that I realized the pack was still strapped to my back. It probably broke my fall and saved me from a more serious injury. I felt along the ground with my hand beside Bella's leg to her hip, until I touched Bella's bag. It was underneath her. I breathed a sigh of relief that she'd landed on her back on top of the pack, and not face first. She must have rolled during the fall.

"Yes, I've got the pack; Bella's too. Wrap my flashlight in your jacket and throw it down here. The one down here is too far away and it's nearly dead anyway."

"What direction do you want me to throw it?"

"Towards the right side of the cave."

"Okay. I'll turn the light on, so you can see where it lands," he said and a moment later, I watched the green glow of the flashlight shine through Jasper's nylon jacket as it sailed through the pitch black cavern. It thankfully landed about three feet away from me and it didn't break.

"Can you see the flashlight?" Jasper yelled.

"Yes. It's right near me."

"Okay. I'll toss a bottle of water to the same position. Bella has the first aid kit; try to get it from her bag," he suggested. I heard the water bottle slosh as it thudded onto the ground.

"I'll be back with help as soon as I can, Edward," Jasper promised.

"Alright. Hurry, Jasper," I begged.

"I will. Hang in there, Edward."

And then he was gone.

…

A/N: Many thanks to Cullen for her research on the USS Hawaii.

Can you guess _why_ wind may have been blowing up the tunnel from the exit and why it was so strong inside the lava tube?

Some lava tube photo's are on my blog at jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thank you to sevanderslice who pointed out to me that I used the word 'torch' in the previous chapter instead of flashlight - sorry for any confusion for North American readers. I've gone back to chapter 12 and corrected it.

...

Chapter 13 – Getting Help (Jaspers POV)

I sprinted down the tunnel, my heart thumping with adrenalin and my leg muscles burning with effort. My flashlight shows me the way forward, but it doesn't stop me from tripping on the uneven surface and sprawling to the ground. I pick myself up and push onwards, swiping at the sweat running off my forehead.

I'm thirsty, but I don't dare stop for a drink of water – not yet anyway, not until I'm outside.

Soon. I'll be outside soon.

Surely I will reach the exit with my next few strides, but the light at the exit – it seems farther away than it did before.

I don't understand.

What's wrong? Why can't I reach the exit?

My lungs are burning and my mind is swirling. All I think about is my brother and Bella trapped and injured in the lava tube. It's my fault. I could have prevented it if I had warned Edward just a little bit sooner.

I didn't want to leave them, but I had to.

How long has it been now?

Ten minutes? Fifteen? Thirty?

I can't be sure. I need a watch. Shit! I've got a watch!

Check the time. Look at your fucking watch!

I shine the flashlight on my wrist, but I'm still running.

I think I'm running. Am I running?

I can't reach the light at the end of the tunnel.

I laugh at my unintentional pun - light at the end of the tunnel. Hah!

What was I doing? Oh, yeah - my watch. I'm supposed to be looking at my watch.

I look down. The little numbers pitch and roll and blur into each other. I can't make it out. What are the numbers saying?

Fuck!

My head is pounding. I know that's not good but I can't remember why.

Why is my head pounding?

I'm gasping. Gasping for air. I try to take a deep breath, but I wheeze and I feel light-headed.

My head is pounding and my chest hurts.

I don't understand why I feel this way. What's wrong?

I didn't get hurt. My brother and Bella – they're the ones who are hurt.

I shouldn't feel this way. I feel sick to my stomach. I want to stop and puke.

Everything is spinning. Am I spinning?

I want to puke. No! I can't stop. I have to get outside and find help. I have to save Edward and Bella.

It's my fault. My head pounds harder.

Why didn't I notice the unstable floor earlier?

The wind. Where did it come from? It was so strong, like a tornado.

Now there's just a breeze. A breeze that smells like the ocean. I feel it against my skin. It's refreshing and it helps me breathe a little easier.

Am I running forward or backward? I tug at my hair. I learned that from Edward.

Edward – my brother.

I feel confused. Am I still going forward? Where's the light. I turn around. It's behind me. I'm running in the wrong direction!

Fuck! I must have been spinning.

I see the light again, and I run and I run and I run, until I'm enveloped in bright light … and I fall off the edge of the world.

I think I am dying until I hit the water. I sink below the boiling surface. I try to take a deep breath, but there's only water.

Water?

Fuck! I'm in the water. I'm outside! I tell myself to snap out of it. I panicked.

I panicked, because I'm afraid of losing my brother. What type of expert does that make me? I whine silently.

You have a job to do Jasper. Get on with it, I tell myself as I kick my legs, stroking strongly toward the surface.

When I break through, I cough and wipe the water from my eyes. I look up and I search until I find what I'm looking for. There it is! It's a hole, high up overlooking the ocean.

I am stunned. I literally ran out of the mountain and off the side of a cliff!

There is something winding down against the side of the cliff, but I can't make out what it is and right now I don't have time to worry about it. I need to find a beach so I can get help. I follow the anomaly clinging to the cliff with my eyes and it leads me to a beach, tucked away in a little cove. If I blinked, I would have missed it, but I start swimming until I drag myself out of the water and onto the black sand beach. It is volcanic sand, and the wind is blowing it in little flurries all around me. In any other circumstances, I would think the sand beautiful, but I don't have time for that.

I flop onto my back and breathe deeply for a few minutes, calming my heart so I can run again. I pull my sodden pack from my back and reach in for my water bottle. It is still there and I am relieved. I pull off the lid and drink deeply, grimacing at the taste. It is slightly tainted with sea water, but I don't let that interfere as I quench my thirst. I notice the sun glinting off my watch and I read the time. It has been thirty minutes since I left Edward and Bella.

It feels like a lifetime.

When Edward first told me to go get help, I wanted to refuse. I hated leaving him behind, but there is no way I can hoist Edward out of the cavern on my own even if I had the correct equipment with me to do it.

There is also Bella to rescue and I didn't know if she would be of any assistance to me with a head injury. Edward might have a broken arm, but at least he was lucid with clear decision making powers intact, something that had deserted me briefly for the first time in my life.

I didn't like it. I would not allow it to happen again!

I run through a list in my head, of the equipment I will need to launch a rescue: ropes, perhaps some of the sail rigging too, the bolt cutters, something to use as a hoist, a counterweight so we could lift Edward and Bella out of the hole … and Emmett's pulley!

I leap to my feet and pull the dripping compass from my pocket, shaking the water gently out of the device.

Please fucking work! Please fucking work! I chant as I hold it in my hand.

The little hand spins crazily for a few moments, but eventually he the red arrow settles onto the magnetic north position. I exhale a sigh of relief.

Lifting my face to the sky, I locate the sun to double check my position in case the compass is damaged or something has interfered with the reading. The sun is high in the eastern sky, getting close to the noon hour. I nod; satisfied that I know the direction I need to travel in. I turn the compass housing to the travel position, lock in magnetic north, and head up the beach.

I know I need to walk in a south-easterly direction and that is the way I go.

A few minutes' walk beyond the beach lays an abandoned, crumpling village of huts around a fresh water pond, which is overgrown with vegetation. In fact, the jungle has overtaken what looks like a once thriving community.

My eyes scan the area for signs of habitation, but there is none. It was abandoned and forgotten about long ago. Whoever had lived here, left one day, leaving behind all of their possessions – drums, tools, fishing nets – and they never came back. Bella would have been ecstatic at my discovery and for a fraction of a second, I am tempted to explore at little, but I shake it off and head for home.

…

I walk at a steady clip for two hours, checking my compass position regularly, and adjusting my route a few times to maintain my course. I fill my water bottle whenever I came across a source of freshwater and once, I even pour water over my face and head in a lame attempt to cool down.

It is so hot!

I keep walking, jogging every now and then until I came to an area of the island that I recognize as having visited before. It's the fruit grove we found weeks ago when we liberated the chickens and the piglets from their life of freedom.

I grin and fist-punch the air triumphantly, pocketing the compass because I know where I am now. I have studied the map I made many times, since first drawing it weeks ago. Adjusting my soggy pack over my shoulders, I break into an easy jog. I am tempted to run flat out, but I also know that I need to retain my wits about me as well as my strength. I cannot afford to dehydrate, so I keep to a jog, but I know that every stride brings me closer to home.

…

Ninety minutes later, I burst into camp, resting my hands on my knees in a bent over position. I gasp for breath. I have run flat out the last fifteen minutes.

Mom is wringing her hands at the table and Dad is pacing agitatedly.

Rose is comforting Mom and Emmett is yelling at Dad, something about a search party.

I don't see Alice.

"Oh my God! Jasper!" screams Mom when she sees me.

She leaps up from the table and rushes toward me, tripping over her feet in her haste to reach me. Her chair lies on the ground where it fell as she kicked it out of her way.

The others follow, Dad pulling Mom to her feet as he reaches her.

Where's Alice?

"Oh, Jasper," Mom cries as she hugs me tight. Tears are streaming down her cheeks. She stands back and looks at me, inspecting me for injuries. I tell her I have none.

She exhales in relief and then she slaps me hard across the face.

I am shocked speechless. Perhaps she blames me too.

"Esme!" I hear Dad say as he takes hold of her shoulders.

"Jasper! Where are Edward and Bella?" Mom yells at me.

I gulp. "There was an accident in the lava tube," I say. Mom gasps and her hands fly to cover her mouth in horror. "Edward and Bella fell through a brittle part of the floor," I tell them.

"What?" Mom whispers, horrified.

I nod, confirming what she hoped she'd misheard.

Dad swallows. "Are they … are they … alive?" he asks me.

"Yes!"

Mom sags into Dad's arms. He holds her upright with his arms around her waist before kissing her temple and passing her off to Rosalie.

Emmett and Dad step forward.

"Tell us everything," Dad orders.

I relate what happened as quickly as possible, leaving nothing out. "… Edward said his arm is broken and Bella has a concussion I think," I report to them.

"Can you find your way back to them?" Emmett asks me.

"Yes, but we need to enter the lava tube from the temple site – it's the quickest route. It took me nearly four hours to get back here over land," I told them, "but it will only take about an hour to reach them once we're inside the lava tube."

"So it is a shortcut?" Emmett says distractedly.

I nod.

"Where's Alice?" I ask.

Emmett gulps. "We're not sure, Jasper. We haven't seen her since shortly after you left, but we didn't notice she wasn't around until about an hour ago – she told us she was going to the beach to be alone for awhile. We've looked for her but we can't find her."

I close my eyes and swallow. I think I know where she is and I pray she is okay.

"We need to get some equipment together and get going," I tell them.

I stamp down my fear and anger for my wife. There will be time for that soon enough, when I find her and we rescue my brother and Bella.

"I'll get my bag," Dad says, turning away to the medical tent.

"What do we need?" Emmett asks me, and we walk away to collect it as I fill him in from the list in my head.

Mom and Rosalie have been talking quietly at the table. It has taken Rose quite a while to calm Mom down. Mom is still visibly distressed, but she is no longer crying and an expression of determination has settled across her face.

"Jasper!" Rose yells.

I turn around.

"We're coming with you," she says resolutely as she and Mom get up from the table.

Emmett opens his mouth to speak, but he changes his mind as Rosalie reaches him; her mouth set in determination. Mom has gone after Dad. I see them arguing by the medical tent.

"We _need_ to come with you, Emmett," she tells him. "We want to help. Edward and Bella are important to us as well."

"But … but the baby, Rosalie," Emmett pleads.

"I know, but I'll be careful. Esme is insisting on going with you," she tells us, "and I'm not going to sit here alone twiddling my thumbs, working myself into a frenzy of worry."

"What if Alice comes back?" Emmett says.

Rosalie cocks a brow. I know that she knows where Alice has gone; they've been friends and sisters-in-law for too long, not to know each other like a well read book.

"Alice, won't come back while we're gone," I tell Emmett.

Rosalie and I exchange a speaking glance. She is as pissed at Alice as I am.

"We leave in thirty minutes," I call out.

Dad and Mom nod and then they walk into the medical tent. I think Dad has given in.

"Rosalie, collect all of the flashlights, spare batteries and plenty of water bottles," I tell her. "Emmett and I are heading over to Victory for the pulley and some rigging; we'll be back in twenty minutes," I tell her.

…

Forty-five minutes later, the five of us reach the entrance to the lava tube. We haven't seen Alice, but I see one of her hair bands on the ground.

She was here. My eyelids flicker and my jaw clenches angrily, but I remain silent.

Dad notices and follows the direction of my gaze. He sees what I see, but he wisely says nothing.

I tell them to follow me and do exactly as I say as we pass through the entrance into the fern cave.

My eyes scan every nook, cranny and crevice looking for anything out of the ordinary. I won't miss danger again I vow silently as Emmett brings up the rear. He is almost crawling through the tight, narrow tunnel before he emerges into the fern cave.

The equipment we carry jingles and jangles as we step into the silent darkness of the lava tube.

We're coming, Edward; we're coming.

Please be okay, I pray. All of them – please be okay.

"Amen," I whisper.

…

A/N: A few photos are on my blog. It is back to Edward and Bella in the next chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: This chapter is mixed POV. I've decided to break the chapter into two parts so you wouldn't have to wait a full week for the entire update. I'm working on part 2 and I hope to have it posted in the next few days. Thank you for all of the reviews to chapter 13. I haven't had a chance to respond yet, but I will in the next day or so.

Chapter 14 – Search and Rescue (Part 1)

…

Jasper's POV

"Everyone stay together and keep your flashlights lit," I tell my family. "We'll reach the tunnel intersection in about ten or fifteen minutes, perhaps longer with the equipment we're carrying."

"How far into the mountain is that?" asks Emmett.

"It's about three quarters of a mile," I say.

I look around for signs of Alice, but I see none. She could only have gone forward, but it is where she may have gone once reaching the crossroads that keeps me rigid with fear. Anxiety and anger saturates every cell of my body. I wonder if I will kiss her senseless when I find her, or paddle her backside until it glows as bright as the lava that once flowed through this tube.

"Let's go," I say as I walk forward.

I hear Mom talking quietly to Dad, but I don't interfere; I listen.

"Alice followed them in here, didn't she?" Mom says to Dad.

"Yes," he whispers.

"That silly, stupid girl!" Mom hisses.

"Yes," Dad agrees.

"How is Jasper remaining so calm?" Mom muses. She is puffing slightly as the tunnel ascends deeper into the volcano.

"He doesn't have a choice," Dad tells her. "He has a job to do. His focus for many hours has been centered on the rescue of his brother and Bella who are trapped and injured. As much as he loves Alice, the priority is to rescue those whose location we know."

"I don't understand why Jasper took an over land route to return home instead of retracing his steps through the tunnel?" Rosalie whispers. "If he'd come out the way they came in, he probably would have intercepted Alice."

The silence is daunting.

"Jasper told me he became … disoriented in the tunnel," Dad tells them, "and he traveled along the western exit." He doesn't elaborate, keeping private the details I related to him and Emmett earlier.

They fall silent and we walk on. My thoughts are reeling, but with a sense of clarity that helps me crystallize the rescue plan in my head. First, get one of us into the cavern with Edward and Bella to assess their status. Then, rig up a pulley system to hoist them out of the cavern. Third, send my family on their way out of the lava tube while I search for Alice.

"Can we rest for a few minutes, Jasper?" Mom calls.

I turn around to urge them on as we are nearly at the crossroad and we can rest there for a few moments. I hold my tongue when I see Emmett supporting Rosalie who is pale and perspiring. Dad is taking her pulse while Mom is mopping her forehead with a damp face-washer she'd brought with her.

"Do you feel faint, Rosalie?" Dad asks her.

"No," she says quickly. Dad gives her a stern look. "Yes," she confesses reluctantly.

Emmett holds his wife closely as he gazes at her with concern. "I told you not to come, Rosalie," he says to her. "I'm taking you back!"

"No!" Rosalie tells him. "We have to keep going forward. Edward and Bella and Alice are depending on us. I'll be alright when I can rest for a while."

"Emmett, we need you," I tell him. I send him a look of apology. "We need your brute strength, Emmett, to pull Edward and Bella out of the cavern."

He looks conflicted and I feel bad for him, because I know he is torn between participating in the rescue and caring for his pregnant wife; just as I am torn between getting to my brother and finding my own missing wife.

"How much longer 'til we reach the accident site?" Emmett asks me.

"Another thirty minutes at least, but the crossroad is a few minutes walk up the tunnel. Rosalie can rest there while the rest of us go on."

"She can't stay in this fucking tunnel alone!" Emmett shouts at me. The sound of his scared and angry words reverberates up and down the tunnel.

"Mom can stay with her," I say, "can't you, Mom?" My eyes plead with her.

She nods. "Yes. Yes, I will stay with Rosalie – until she feels better," she says carefully.

Dad narrows his eyes at the precision of Mom's words. "Esme!" his tone cautions. "Esme, you and Rosalie _will_ stay at the crossroads and you _will not _move from that spot until one of us comes for you. Do you understand me?" Dad says crossing his arms over his chest.

Mom shrugs and pouts a little.

"Esme?"

Mom sighs. "Yes, Carlisle, I understand."

"Let's go," I say. "We'll be there in a few minutes."

Emmett supports Rosalie as we walk on. When we reach the tunnel intersection he assists her from her backpack and helps her to sit on the dirty floor up against the side of the tunnel. Dad hands her a water bottle and takes her pulse again.

The rest of my family shines their flashlights around the large cavern. I shine mine onto the dusty tunnel floor. I see our footprints from earlier – two large sets of boot prints that are mine and Edward's, and two smaller sets that are Bella's and unfortunately, Alice's. I follow her tracks with my flashlight and I am both relieved and worried by what I find.

"It's down this way," I tell them, arcing my flashlight into the western tunnel.

"Do you think Alice is down there?" Rosalie asks wearily.

"I don't know," I tell them. "I can only hope she has taken the same route we did." I don't tell them that she would have had no way of knowing the direction we took earlier and her footprints told me she may have taken one of two directions.

"If she comes this way, we'll keep her here," Mom tells me as she hugs me.

Perhaps she has forgiven me. I circle her waist and return her embrace, inhaling the comforting fragrance of floral soap and apples that has promised unconditional love since the time I could remember.

"The three of you concentrate on rescuing Edward and Bella," she tells us looking at her husband and two elder sons. "I'll look after Rosalie. We'll be fine," she assures us.

"We'll probably be many hours, Mom."

"I know son," she acknowledges touching my cheek. Her thumb strokes gently over the spot on my cheek where she slapped me. "Do what you need to do and we'll be waiting right here. Now go," she tells us.

A minute later, Dad and Emmett have kissed Mom and Rosalie goodbye and we are striding down the western tunnel. Now that the ladies aren't with us, we are able to move much faster. I am filled with trepidation because our women are alone. Emmett and Dad's faces speak the same.

We move a little faster.

…

Bella's POV

My head is thumping like I've spent two hours in the front row at a Grateful Dead concert. I rub at my temples and try to focus in the dim light. Edward is sitting beside me, hunched over with his head resting on his knees. He is cradling his arm against his body. I try to sit up, but my head swims sickeningly and I fall back.

_'Dio è misericordia. Si prega di fare e stop,' I pray silently._

"Edward?" I moan. He doesn't respond, so I try again. "Edward!"

"Huh? Bella, you're awake," he said as he lifts his head to look at me.

"Yes. How … how long?"

"A few hours," he said quietly.

"Has anyone come for us yet?"

He is still for a moment before he reluctantly shakes his head and whispers, "No."

I close my eyes and cover my face with my hands.

"They _will_ come for us, Bella!" Edward said emphatically as he reaches out to touch my hand. "Jasper will come through for us. You have to believe that," he begged.

"It's just been so long," I said, but I'm afraid it sounds whiny.

"Drink some water," Edward said instead. It is his way of avoiding answering me.

He turns onto his knees, grunting as he does so, and moves to help me sit up so I can sip from the bottle beside me. He hands it to me and slips his arm below my neck providing leverage. I drink thirstily and as I lower the bottle to secure the cap, I get a look at his arm and I gasp.

"Oh, my God, Edward! Your arm! What happened to your arm?" I asked him as I toss the bottle aside and reach for him.

He winces as I cradle the limb in my hands and he pulls away from me. "It's nothing. It's broken, but Dad will fix it right up," he told me.

I am horrified at the amount of caked blood I can see around the bone protruding from his arm. When did he break his arm? Why didn't he tell me?

"Why didn't you tell me your arm was broken? I need to look at it," I told him determinedly.

"It's fine, Bella. I've had broken bones before. I didn't tell you before, because you needed to rest – you have a concussion."

"My concussion is not as serious as your broken arm, Edward," I said as I crawl slowly away to get my backpack and the first aid kit within it. "You have a compound fracture. It needs to be splinted and kept clean. Give me your arm," I ordered as I hold out my hands.

Edward argued. "Concussions are serious, Bella."

"Yes, I know, I've had them before. Believe me, this one is mild compared to the last one I had when I was going to university." Edward looked at me with disbelief. "I have a headache and nausea, which is pretty much standard. The good news is, I'm talking and functioning, so it's not so bad. The sleep helped," I explained, trying to reassure him.

"More like unconscious," he mumbled.

"Well, I'm awake now," I said and held my hands out. "Give. Me. Your. Arm!"

Edward scowled and clutched his broken arm to his stomach. I cocked a brow of inquiry at him and he relented allowing me to cradle his arm. The open wound was full of debris and needed to be cleaned. Unfortunately, I didn't have the necessary supplies with me to do that and even if I did, the pain would be excruciating without a local anesthesia. I noticed him watching me intently and I decided to distract him with conversation while I splinted and bandaged his arm.

"Can you shine the flashlight on your arm for me?" I asked him and he complied.

I pull some splints, some bandages and an arm sling from the first aid kit and go to work.

"So, Edward, this is a fine first date you've taken me on," I said, grinning up at him.

He barks a laugh. "What's not to like, _Manulani_?" he said. "We have the place to ourselves; there's mood lighting, and I bet no one else would ever think to bring you to a cavern?"

"Well, the service is atrocious," I joked. "We've been here for hours and we still haven't seen a waiter and I'm starving." Right them, my stomach grumbled loudly and I bit my lip.

"Are you hungry?" Edward asked me.

"Um, yeah. Did our lunch survive the fall?"

"Yep. Do you feel up to eating something light?"

"Uh huh. Let me finish with your splint first," I told him as I laid a bamboo rod against Edward's arm and wrapped the bandage around it. I laid another rod on the other side and keep wrapping until the wound is covered and the arm is immobilized. Once I have Edward's arm supported in a sling, I take two pills from the first aid kit and hand them to him.

"What are these?" he asked me suspiciously.

"They're painkillers," I told him and he immediately tried to give them back to me.

"Take them, Edward. They'll help with the pain."

"I don't want to take anything that might affect my mind or my reflexes," he said worriedly.

"They won't. It's ibuprofen with added codeine for targeted pain relief. Carlisle told me I can give them to an otherwise healthy adult without any ill effects. Take them," I encouraged. "You'll be no good to either of us or the others when they get here if you're suffering from debilitating pain. And, Edward, that break _has_ to be extremely painful. I'm surprised _you're_ not unconscious."

He looked at me sheepishly. "Ahm, I was for awhile. After Jasper left to find help, I laid down beside you to keep you warm."

"When did you wake up?"

"A couple of hours later."

"The sleep probably did us both good. If nothing else, it helped pass the time," I said. I looked at the flashlight. "How long will the battery last do you think?"

"About ten hours. I turned it off when I felt myself falling asleep."

I handed him the bottle of water and nodded to the pills in his hand. He rolled his eyes, but he swallowed them like a good patient. I grinned.

"Can you have a look at the back of my head, Edward? I think I cracked it pretty hard."

"You did. I looked at it earlier and I cleaned the wound with one of those antiseptic wipes. It bled a lot and then stopped. I'm sorry I couldn't clean the blood out of your hair."

"It doesn't matter," I said as I twisted my stiff and sticky hair into a loose bun over the wound to protect it, and tucked the ends in to hold it together.

After we ate the lunch of seafood and some of the fruit we'd brought, I encouraged Edward to lie down and rest again by telling him _I _needed to lie down. Nearly four hours had passed since we fell through the hole in the floor above. I was getting cold and I noticed Edward shivering a few times. I worried about delayed shock. I positioned our backpacks side-by-side to use as pillows and pulled Edward's jacket over his upper body before cuddling up beside him on his uninjured side with my own jacket. They weren't very warm being made of lightweight nylon but they were better than nothing.

"Did you explore the cavern at all?" I asked him as he curved his arm around me to hold me close. The flashlight didn't illuminate a great distance but what I could see around us was many stalactites and stalagmites of some type of mineral deposit.

"Some. It's huge. Those are calcium carbonate formations," he said pointing to the muddy-brown cylinders. Their presence means that water is seeping into the rock and dissolving the minerals."

"How do you know that?"

"I studied applied mathematics and the sciences at school. I had to in order to be a submarine officer," Edward told me.

"Just how brainy are you?" I asked, propping myself up to look at him.

He chuckled. "Enough that the navy wanted me," he responded modestly.

I gently traced his nose and mouth with my fingertips. His green eyes reflected the pain he was in and the gray pallor of his skin emphasized it.

"How's the pain?"

"Bearable," he fibbed.

"Perhaps I can make it even better," I whispered as I lowered my mouth to his, exploring his lips with my own. He responded by opening his mouth so I could slip my tongue inside and our tongues dueled softly, stroking against each other as the kiss deepened.

"Hmmm," he moaned agreeably, "that's the best medicine in the whole world," he said when we came up for air.

"Oh yeah, you want me to do it again?"

"Yes!" he growled, pulling me down to him.

Unfortunately he was a little too eager to lock lips with me again, and I accidentally knocked against his broken arm with my own. He hissed and stiffened before his body relaxed as he fainted dead away.

"Edward? Edward?" I whispered nervously as I tapped my hand against his cheek to try and bring him around. He moaned a few times, but he didn't wake up. Beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead giving him a clammy feel and he was as white as a ghost.

"Edward! Edward, wake up!" I almost yelled at him. Tears sprang from my eyes. "Edward!" He groaned again and moved his head. His eyes flickered. "Oh God, Oh God! Edward, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Wake up please," I sobbed.

He groaned and his eyes opened. "I know you didn't, Bella, it's my fault," he croaked. "I was too eager to feel your lips on mine again and I forgot. Please stop crying baby," he pleaded hoarsely.

"I want to leave now," I sobbed into his neck.

"I know you do baby. I want to as well. Jasper will be back soon with the others and they'll get us out of here. You'll see."

"How?" I wailed. "We can't even see the roof. God knows how far down we are."

"They'll hoist us out with ropes, Bella," he assured me, stroking the tears from my eyes. "We have plenty of rope back at camp. Jasper's explored caves and cliffs before; he knows what to do sweetheart."

I sniffed. "What will he do?"

"He'll anchor some bolts into the tunnel wall above us and rappel down here with a body harness so they can hoist us up. You'll go first, I'll go second and Jasper will follow last."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes."

"I don't know why I'm so weepy and insecure all of a sudden, Edward."

"It's the shock, Bella. Try and keep calm – don't let it control you."

I sniffed again. "Yeah, shock. It's what made you faint before."

Edwards stiffened. "I did not faint!"

"Um, yeah, you did," I told him.

"Men pass out, Bella, we _do not_ faint!"

"Whatever, Edward, you were unconscious and I got scared."

"Hey, Bella sweetheart, we'll be okay. I won't leave you, alright," he soothed as the stroked my hair.

"Okay. Just don't faint again!" I told him sternly.

"I _did not_ faint!" he gritted out.

"Hey down there. Are you two arguing? They must be fine," I heard Emmett's voice say jovially.

"Yes! We're here," Edward yelled back. He laughed and tried to sit up, but he couldn't get enough leverage from his prone position with only one good arm. I stood up, groaning softly as my bruised muscles protested, and offered my hand to him so he could stand.

"We'll have you out of there as soon as possible," called Jasper. "I'm gonna come down as soon as I rig up a secure line."

"Okay, but hurry please. We've had enough caving for one day," Edward told him.

"Yeah, I bet you have," he responded. "Ahm, Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Did … did Alice come this way?"

Edward and I looked at each other. This wasn't good.

He gulped and I took his hand in mine, squeezing it tightly.

"No."

"I was afraid of that," we heard Jasper's voice echo from above.

…

A/N: Italian to English translation: _Dio è misericordia. Si prega di fare e stop _**means **_God have mercy. Please make it stop._

I'll post a few photos on my blog, but it might not be until tomorrow because I'm going to bed.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Here it is – part 2 of Search and Rescue. This chapter is also mixed POVs but don't get used to it.

Chapter 15 – Search and Rescue Part 2

Edward's POV

We were rescued!

I grinned madly and pulled Bella into me with my good arm to kiss her – a great big smacking kiss of happiness – which she returned with enthusiasm, sliding one hand into my hair to cradle my skull while the other rested on my opposite hip.

I ached to hold her properly, except it wasn't going to be possible until Dad took care of my arm, and even then it would be a couple of months before I would have full use of the limb. For now, I would improvise. I softened my lips to lead her into a kiss of passion rather than jubilation, gently brushing against her top lip a few times before sucking it slowly into my mouth.

She moaned and I grinned – I couldn't help it.

"What has you so happy?" she asked me as she pulled away slightly.

"You do," I told her, stroking her jaw line.

She blushed. "The feeling's mutual," she murmured, reaching up to initiate another kiss. We were clinging to each others mouths when my family spotlighted us with three bright flashlights through the hole in the ceiling above us.

"Hey! Enough of that, we've got a rescue to organize," called Emmett.

I let go of Bella's lip with a gentle pop to look up into the light. "We're busy!" I retorted. "Come back later."

"Hey!" yelled Bella. "Ignore him, Emmett. We're not too busy for that – in fact, the sooner the better as far as I'm concerned."

"It won't be long now, Bella, we're just calculating how deep you are. As you were, Lieutenant!" he said with a snicker.

"Aye aye, sir." I grinned and saluted Emmett before returning to my previous, rather enjoyable occupation of exploring Bella's mouth. I'd only just begun when my Dad called our names.

I sighed. "Yes, Dad?"

"Tell me about your arm."

"It's broken."

There was a long moment of silence and Bella rolled her eyes.

"Bella, tell me about Edward's injury."

"Yes sir. Edward has a compound fracture of the radius bone in his right arm. Approximately one inch of bone is visible and there is significant debris in the wound with moderate blood loss. I've immobilized the arm in a splint and a sling, and administered two ibuprofen/codeine painkillers."

God almighty, she was sexy! The way she was talking to Dad. Wow! She is so fucking intelligent – and gorgeous. How did I get so lucky?

"Has the bleeding stopped?"

"Yes sir."

I could hear Jasper and Emmett chipping away at the hard rock of the tube. I figure they were preparing to anchor some bolts into the walls to string a rope line that Jasper could rappel from.

"Tell me about your concussion. Do either of you have any other injuries?"

Bella opened her mouth to respond, but I answered before she could.

"She hit the back of her head, Dad, but she did that before she fell. She has a two inch gash on the back of her skull. It bled for a long time and I cleaned it with an antiseptic wipe. Bella slept for nearly three hours."

"How do you feel, Bella?"

"I have a headache and I'm slightly nauseated, but otherwise I feel okay, apart from the million bruises all over my body."

"I'll ditto that!" I said.

I heard some shuffling from above and then Jasper's voice replaced Dads.

"Edward, were gonna start drilling now. I need to get these bolts in deep because these aren't rappel anchors."

"Alright." I moved Bella away from the hole a bit – I didn't want her to get hit with any flying debris.

"How long will it take," Bella asked me.

I shrug. "Not sure really. It depends on how hard the rock is; how deep they need to drill and how many anchors they need."

"Oh." She looks slightly disheartened.

"I can keep you distracted," I said to her with a salacious smirk, trying to distract her. I reach down with my hand that circles her waist until it is resting on her butt. I stroked it a few times and then give it a gentle squeeze like I wanted to earlier today.

"Ah!" she hiccoughs. "Edward!" she reproved.

"Yeah?" I grin at her.

"Behave yourself. We're not alone anymore." She peers surreptitiously toward the hole in the ceiling.

"They can't see," I whisper near her ear as I give her rump another squeeze. It is shapely, soft and firm all at the same time. If my right arm wasn't out of action, I'd be copping a feel with my other hand as well. My mouth moves to her earlobe and nibbles delicately at the plump flesh I find there and she moans.

"Ah, Edward." Bella tilts her head slightly giving me unfettered access to the swan-like column of her neck. Despite the dust and perspiration, and the antiseptic wipes I'd used to wipe the blood away from her skin, she smelled simply delicious – mouth watering – and I couldn't resist exploring her throat with my lips.

"Hmmm, Edward," she moaned as she tightened her grip on my hip to steady herself.

"Do you like that?"

"You know I do."

"Do you want me to stop?"

She peers into the ceiling hole again.

"No!" she gasped into my mouth and we were kissing again.

…

"Edward?" I heard Emmett call.

"Yeah?"

I'd distracted Bella for quite a while until we were both breathing heavily and feeling hot and bothered. Given our current circumstances and the audience above, there wasn't a lot we could do about finding some relief but I wouldn't have missed the opportunity to kiss her for all the tea in China. We'd sat down about an hour ago when both of us started to feel weak in the knees, both from our injuries and our reactions to each other. Bella had been dozing against me for most of that time.

"Jasper's getting ready to rappel. Can you get your stuff together. I'd like to get you out of there as soon as possible." Emmett's voice was grim.

"Why? What's wrong, Emmett?"

"Let's just get you out of there."

"Why Emmett!" I persist.

Emmett is silent for a long moment before he confesses, "The floor is unstable around the hole, as are the tunnel walls. We had to drill much deeper than Jasper thought we'd need to."

I gulp. "Okay."

"Stand back, here comes Jasper," Emmett said and I see three flashlights shine down into the hole. The light is blinding, but I see Jasper's booted feet and then his legs dangling in the air after a few moments. He is hanging from an improvised harness of belts and rope. A life ring is tied to his belt and swings against his jean-clad leg.

"Bella, Bella," I croon to her as I stoke her face. "Wake up Bella."

"Hmmm."

"Come on, that's it, baby. Wake up."

"Hmmm. Okay. I'm awake. How long has it been?"

"About an hour. Jasper's coming down now. We need to get our stuff together. Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Can you stand?"

"Yes," she said and staggers to her feet. She sways, but steady's herself by leaning a hand against one of the long stalactites hanging from the ceiling. "Here," she said to me, holding out her hand.

I grab hold of Bella's hand to lever to my own feet and when I am standing, Bella lets go of the mineral formation. Part of it breaks off in her hand and she looks at it briefly before tossing it aside. It ricochets off the formation it came from before falling to the ground. As she bends over to pick up our bags, I hear a sharp tearing sound and I look up, horrified. The stalactite is breaking away from it's anchor right over the top of Bella!

"Bella, look out," I yell to her just as she registers the unwelcome sound of something falling from above. Her mouth opens in a perfect O of shock as she stands immobile for a fraction of a second, before I yank on the hand I'm still holding and she dives toward me.

"Agh!" she screams as ancient volcanic debris showers her head and shoulders. She lifts the hand holding one of our bags to her head to protect herself as I strain with all of my strength to pull her to safety.

"What's going on down there?" Emmett yells frantically as the deafening sound of rumbling rock dies away. He and Dad have heard the commotion of the stalactite breaking away and falling. I see Jasper rapidly free-fall twelve feet in his desperation to get to us.

"Bella! Are you okay, Bella?" I said to her sharply as I move my hand to her shoulder. She stands silently beside me, against my uninjured side as I breathe hard from exertion and panic. "Bella! Answer me!" I said, shaking her in my agitation.

"Y...yes," she sobs. "Yes. Oh, Edward!" she cries as she buries her face in my neck. She has reached the end of her endurance and I only care about getting her out of here.

"Shssh. You're okay and Jasper's here to hoist you out of this hole," I told her soothingly as Jasper unbuckled his harness and stepped toward us.

"What the fuck happened?" he asked as he examines the rock strewn across the cavern floor.

"Stalactite collapsed," I told him succinctly.

His mouth tightens and he shoots me a speaking look. We have a silent conversation where he understands that I want Bella out of here and I understand that the ceiling above us is even more fragile that we first thought.

"Are you both okay?" he asked me as he looks us over quickly.

"Yes, we have no new injuries."

"Good, then let's get the fuck out of here."

I couldn't agree more. Bella crawls out of her hidey-hole against my neck and wipes her eyes and dripping nose with her dusty hand.

"Hi Jasper," she sniffs.

He gives her a small smile. "Hey there, darlin'. You ready to blow this joint?"

"Hours ago."

He grins and I do as well. We are both trying not to let Bella know how precarious our situation is.

"Okay then. Let's get you into the harness."

I walk Bella over to where the ropes and harness dangle and Bella hands me the bag she is holding as Jasper beckons her forward.

"Oh, wait a minute. We forgot the other bag," she said and takes a step toward the fallen rubble.

_Fucking hell in a hand-basket! What the hell does she think she's doing?_

"Bella!" I bark at her. She looks up at me, startled. "Leave the fucking bag. It doesn't matter. We just need to get out of here."

"But the supplies ..." she begins to argue. I glare at her, throwing the bag I hold to the side and she quails, retreating to Jasper without further encouragement or argument. I relax slightly, but my entire body is stiff with stress and I am livid at her seeming stupidity. From this point forward in our relationship, I vow that she will do as she is told when it comes to her safety and my sanity.

"I'm sorry," she whimpers to me.

I soften my expression a little as I step toward her and stroke her face with my left hand. "I know you are, Bella. I need you to think about what you're doing, especially now," I told her as I look pointedly at the rubble and then the ceiling where dust and fine gravel still falls away. Her eyes widen and her mouth quivers as recognition dawns on her just how unstable the cavern actually is. She opens her mouth to speak and I hold my finger to her lips.

"Shssh. Just get into the harness please." She nods and steps toward Jasper, reaching down to scoop up the bag I discarded and slipping it over her shoulders. My mouth tightens into a thin line. Grrr!

"Step into the harness, Bella," Jasper tells her. "I'm going to bring the harness up and strap you into it, okay." She nods and Jasper quickly secures her. "Hold up your arms," he told her.

I watch as she does as she is told and Jasper slips the life ring over her head and pulls it down until it hugs her body under her breasts and armpits. He holds it in place around her with rope that he secures to the harness that hugs her hips and buttocks and then more rope, which he clips to a carabiner ring above her.

"You can put your arms down, Bella. I want you to hang onto the life ring," Jasper instructed and she nods her understanding. She is now secured in an upright position that will prevent her from swinging over into an upside down position while she is hoisted from the cavern.

Jasper checks the harness belts and the ropes. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Bella gasps wide eyed.

"I'll see you at the top," I told her as I kiss her mouth. She gulps and smiles at me wanly.

I nod to Jasper and he calls up to Emmett. "Okay, Emmett. Bella's ready. On the count of three we both start pulling. Bella yelps in surprise as she is jerked off the ground and she holds onto the life ring for dear life. She gulps and looks down at me with fear in her eyes.

"You're fine, Bella. Just hold on and you'll be out of here before you know it," I said encouraging her to remain calm. She nods and tightens her grip on the yellow ring around her body. Jasper is heaving on the rappel rope from the bottom as Emmett does the same from the top. I watch with relief as my beautiful, brave _Manulani_ disappears from sight into the dimness at the top of the cavern. A moment later, I hear Dad's calm voice.

"Hi Bella. I'm going to extend this pole toward you and I want you to let go of the ring with one hand and take hold of it, okay. Don't let go. I'm going to pull you toward me, do you understanding?" I couldn't hear Bella's response and I tense until I hear, "Okay, we've got her! You can send Edward up now." I sagged with relief.

"You okay, bro?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah. I'm … I'm just …" I am unable to articulate my feelings.

"Yeah, I know, Edward," Jasper says to me sadly as he fondles his wedding ring through his protective gloves.

He knows that I'm glad Bella is out of here and I know he is worried about the whereabouts and safety of his own errant wife. I grasp his shoulder and squeeze sympathetically as the harness drops to the floor and Jasper steps forward to pick it up. The life ring has been removed and a large piece of striped canvas has been secured to it instead. It looks like one of the hammock seats from the frame of a deck chair. Jasper secures the rope through some eyelet holes in the bottom and the top of the canvass that weren't there the last time I saw the deck chair, and motioned me over to secure me into the harness.

"Lean back into the canvass, Edward," he told me. I do as he says feeling the tightly woven fabric absorb my weight as my feet lift off the ground. He hands me a surf-rescue tube and secures each end – one to the harness and one to the carabiner ring above my head. "Hold onto the tube with your left hand. Are you ready?" he asks me when I have done as he asked.

I nod. "Yes. Thanks, Jasper. I owe you one."

"You're my brother, Edward. You own me nothing," he says. He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes and I wonder briefly what is wrong when he yells up to Emmett that we're ready. Before I can question my brother further, I feel myself being hoisted into the air.

…

Carlisle's POV

Fuck! I breath a sigh of relief as I see Bella's dark hair as she is hoisted through the fragile hole in the floor of the lava tube. Emmett is breathing heavily but he doesn't seem overly fatigued.

"Hold her steady, Emmett while I swing her over here," I tell him.

He grunts and plants his feet more securely in the gravel and I hear it crunch under his feet. The muscles of his arms and shoulders strain under the weight of suspending 110 pounds in mid-air.

"Bella take hold of his pole with your hand and hold onto it while I pull you over." She nods and reaches out to grasp hold of the end. Her hand slips off it as there is nothing to grip onto, but she reaches again, sliding her hand up the pole until she can curl her thumb and fingers around it securely.

"Okay," she pants and I pull her slowly toward me until she is clear of the hole and I have taken hold of her around her waist. I pull her a few more feet away from the hole before I let her feet touch the ground and as soon as she does, Emmett relaxes his stance.

"Flex your muscles and gently rotate your joint's, Emmett – it will help relieve some of the strain," I tell my eldest son as I release the belt buckles and the carabiner rings to remove Bella from the rescue harness. Lifting the life ring over her head, I throw the entire contraption to Emmett who immediately removes the ring and attaches a piece of canvass to it instead.

When I first saw Jasper come back from Victory with the water life-saving equipment, I wasn't sure what he was about – there was no water in the lava tube. He explained what he was planning to do as he stripped a piece of canvas out of one of our deck chairs and inserted four eyelet rings making an improvised body sling.

I was immeasurably proud of my sons, particularly Jasper, because I don't think the rest of us would have thought to use a life ring, a surf rescue tube and a deck chair to hoist someone out of a cave. All of our individual skills and knowledge – they complemented each other, making us stronger as a unit than we would ever be alone. I was determined to drive that home to my family when we returned to camp, and especially to Alice when we found her.

She acted singularly and stupidly, endangering herself and now the rest of us because we had to search for and rescue her as well. If Jasper doesn't spank her when we find her, I think I will!

I shine a medical flashlight into Bella's eyes and I am pleased to see the pupils react to bright light and then darkness. I take her pulse and her blood pressure. Both are a little high, but that's to be expected with all of the adrenalin pumping through her bloodstream.

"Turn around, Bella, I want to check your head wound." She does as I bid and I pull her hair down and part the matted strands. She has a two inch wound on the back of her skull. It is weeping slightly but has stopped bleeding profusely. I press gently around the gash and feel the swelling that is also visible to my skilled eyes.

"Ow!"

"Sorry. How are you feeling?" I ask her as I remove some antiseptic wipes from my medical case and begin cleaning the wound.

"Um, okay. I'm tired."

"Do you feel sick still?"

"A little, but it's not too bad. I had something to eat a couple of hours ago."

"Have you been drinking plenty of water?" I ask her as I notice Emmett hoist the harness and sling down the hole to bring up Edward.

"Yes, Carlisle, I'm fine, I'm worried about Edward's arm. It doesn't look good and it's been hours since he broke it."

My mouth thins into a tight line. Bella has learned enough from me in recent weeks to know that a compound fracture left untreated is not good. It will likely require surgery to correct the placement of the bone and close the wound. I am not worried about the surgery – I have performed the procedure many times before – it is post-operative infection that I am most concerned about. Bacteria proliferates in the tropics and Edward's wound has been exposed for many hours. It is likely to be many more hours before we get him home.

"Edward will be fine," I tell her soothingly as I secure a bandage around Bella's head.

"Dad?" Emmett calls to me and I look up. "Edward's ready."

I nod and seat Bella on the ground against the tunnel wall, out of the way. "Stay here," I tell her before I stride away to Emmett prepared to help him hoist Edward out of the cavern. He is eighty pounds heavier than Bella and will be a dead weight as he reclines in the body sling even if it is all muscle and bone.

"On the count of three," calls Jasper from below as Emmett and I grasp onto the ropes. "One, two, three, pull!" Jasper yells.

We all heave on the ropes, hand over hand; our muscles straining with effort. Sweat breaks out over my face, running down my neck and onto my chest and arms. Emmett's face is red with strain and his jaw is locked with tension. He breathes heavily and his arm and chest muscles flex as he heaves slowly but surely on the rescue ropes.

My Emmett is as strong as an ox and I am suddenly grateful that he takes after my father in stature and muscle mass because I would not have been strong enough to hoist Edward on my own. It is only minutes later that I see the coppery-brown strands of Edwards hair as his head appears in the hole. A few more heaves and Edward is dangling in mid air, his face white with exhaustion and pain. His eyes are closed.

"I'm going to let go Emmett, so I can pull Edward over. Are you ready?"

He plants his feet and nods. I let go slowly and reach out to Edward with the pole.

"Edward. Edward!" I call out. His eyes flash open. "Take hold of the pole." He reaches out with his left hand, his fingers moving in a grasping motion, but he can't reach it. I stretch further, edging toward the edge of the hole in the unstable floor. A few rocks break away and clatter down the hole.

_Fuck!_

"Careful Dad," grunts Emmett. I can hear the strain in his voice and see the quiver in his muscles. I don't know how much longer he can hold his position before his body will force him to let go of the weight he was holding.

Bella is beside me. "I thought I told you to stay over there?" I hiss at her.

"Give me the pole," she says, "and hold on to my hand. I'll reach out over the hole toward Edward and you hold onto my other hand," she says.

I look at her horrified. Is she mad!

"It will work, Carlisle. We need to try!" she implores me. Emmett looks at me pleadingly as Edward drops an inch of two in the sling as his stamina and strength begin to desert him.

"Alright." I had her the pole and grab hold of her hand wrapping mine up and around her wrists. She does the same to mine and edges toward the very edge of the hole, the pole outstretched in her hand.

"Edward!"

His eyes open and they widen in horror as he spies Bella leaning precariously over the hole she'd just been rescued from. "Bella!" he gasps.

"Grab hold of the pole, Edward! Reach out and grab it. Hurry!" she orders. "NOW!" she yells at him.

I see Edward lean forward slightly and the sling sways. His fingers are mere fractions from touching the end of the pole. Bella edges out a little more arching her body in mid air trying to get closer to Edward.

"A little more, Edward. That's it, reach just a little more," she pleads with him. I see his fingers moving frantically, trying to extend his reach so he can touch the pole. I think that he has failed when I feel Bella jerk in my grasp.

"He's got it, Carlisle! Pull!"

I pull with all my might, backing up a few steps before reaching around Bella to take hold of the pole. Together we heave on the pole until Edward is swinging over the fragile floor instead of the gaping hole. I let go of her hand and ease forward until I have Edward's harness ropes in my hands and I can pull him to safety. I let him down on the floor and catch him in my arms as his legs collapse from beneath him. I watch Emmett do the same. He is exhausted.

"Jasper?" I call.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"We've got Edward. Just give us a few minutes to get him out of the harness before we throw it down – Emmett is exhausted."

"Okay, Dad."

Edward groans in my arms and my attention returns to him. Bella is already unbuckling the belts and the rescue tube.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking about?" he berates her angrily.

"You!" she hisses at him.

I can't help but smirk inwardly that Edward has met his perfect match in Isabella Swan as we release him from the harness and I throw it back to Emmett.

…

Rosalie's POV

"How are you feeling, Rose?" Esme asks me for the millionth time in the last hour.

I roll my eyes and clench my teeth until they ache. "I'm fine, Esme," I grit out.

Esme narrows her gaze at me. "You don't have to be so snooty, Rosalie – I'm just concerned about you … and the others she whispers."

I sag against the hard wall of the tube and I feel ashamed of myself. This whole experience is hardest on Esme as her husband and three sons are somewhere down the western tube. We've not heard or seen anything for over two hours and the suspense and worry was killing us.

"I'm sorry, Esme," I say to her as I clasp her hand in mine and squeeze reassuringly. She is sitting beside me in the dirt with her knees pulled up to her chest. Silent tear tracks of worry criss-cross her cheeks.

"How do you think it's going?" she asks me after a while.

"I think no news is good news," I tell her. If something disastrous had happened, I figure one of them would have come back to the cross-roads by now.

"Yes, yes, you're right," Esme says, nodding her head. She leaps to her feet and begins pacing up and down the lava tube intersection. She has done this on and off for the past two hours and I know it is her coping mechanism while we wait. It drives me crazy, but I say nothing if it will keep Esme sane and stop her from asking me how I am for a millionth and one time in the next few minutes.

"You know, I'm going to kill that little bitch, when we find her," Esme snarls.

I assume she is speaking about Alice. I feel the same way. Lately, Alice has been sulkier and whinier than she normally is, complaining about the food, the lack of soap and hot water, the sleeping arrangements, the heat and the rain. I love her dearly, like a sister, but sometimes I think the maturity gene was short-changed when it came to Alice and her behavior is more like that of a petulant teenager. I'm unsure what her problem is because she tells me repeatedly that everything is fine, but there is something bothering her and it is more than Jasper not letting her go with them today.

I get angry at Alice again. It is just like her to do something stupid like she has. Who in their right fucking mind goes into unchartered territory alone? I wouldn't even be in here if it wasn't for the accident.

"You'll have to get in line," I tell Esme, "right behind her husband and me!"

"Oh no, dear. I'm second, you can go third," she tells me with a grim expression. "I'm the mother-in-law."

I snort. I don't think Alice will show her face without shame for some time once Jasper and Esme are through with her.

"Shssh! Do you hear that?" Esme asks me.

"What?" I ask her as I get to my feet.

"Listen."

I hear what sounds like foot steps and sobbing and I say as much to Esme.

"That's what I think as well. Hand me the flashlight."

I hand one to her and pick up the other one for myself. We shine the lights into the tubes but we can't see anything yet.

"Where do you think it's coming from?" I say to Esme.

Esme looks to the south and west tunnels. "Not those two, she says. If she was in the west tunnel, then she'd be with the men."

"So that leaves north and east," I say as I walk toward them. Which one would Alice take? For the first time since we've been waiting at the cross-roads, I notice the red markings on the rock beside each tunnel entrance and I know immediately which one Alice would have picked. I shine my light on the marking.

"Look," I say to Esme. She comes over and peers at the writing on the wall. Her eyebrows arch.

"X marks the spot," I say to Esme as we both look at the 'N' and the 'X' marking the entrance to the northern tunnel.

The sobs are getting louder as Alice moves closer toward us. We still can't see her, but we are certain that it's her.

"You stay here, Rosalie, I'm going to meet her," Esme tells me, her mouth tight.

"Oh no! You're not leaving me here alone," I tell her. "We'll go together."

Esme nods and walks into the northern tube. I follow closely behind her as our flashlights guide us. The tube curves to the right and rises sharply as we walk along. Something scuttles across my foot making me scream and jump.

"Agh."

"What! What is it?" Esme yells as she turns around.

I gulp. "Something ran across my foot," I whimper.

Esme shines her flashlight at the floor and I follow the beam. "It's just some type of bug," she tells me. I peer at the albino arthropod with it's pinkish white exoskeleton and I shudder. I hate bugs!

"You okay?" Esme asks me.

I nod. "Let's go," I say, eager to be away from the site of the bug in case it had any friends nearby.

"Alice!" Esme calls. "Alice, can you hear us?" Esme's voice echoes up and down the lava tube.

"Hold on, Esme, quiet."

We listen carefully as the echoes die away. I can here running and the sobs are getting louder.

"Yes, I can hear you," Alice's voice sounds from far away.

"We're coming, Alice!" I reply and it reverberates up the tunnel.

Esme and I hurry forward. The floor is uneven, dipping up and down erratically and I stumble a few times. Esme steadys me and we slow our pace down even though we are eager to reach Alice.

"Are you still there?" sobs Alice from ahead. Her voice is closer.

"Yes! We're coming," Esme responds.

"Oh, thank God," Alice sobs incoherently, and then we are upon her.

Esme and I stop dead and stare aghast at Alice.

She is standing before us covered in … bat shit.

I can't help but laugh as I cover my mouth. I don't believe there is any other punishment we could inflict on Alice that would top her being covered in bat shit. It is clinging to her hair and dripping off the ends of the fine dark strands onto her shoulders. It is smeared all over her face and hands, and huge splatters of it stain her clothes.

She is wearing her favorite Prada boots, Ralph Lauren jeans and her Calvin Klein white t-shirt except it is no longer white – it's orange. Vivid orange.

Alice is utterly miserable and she reeks to high heaven. Ew!

Esme marches forward and Alice holds out her arms for a hug.

"Forget it, missy!" Esme hisses. She grabs hold of Alice's upper arms and begins shaking her backwards and forwards as she yells at her.

"Do you know how _fucking_ worried we've all been, Alice? DO YOU?" Esme shouts. Alice looks at the floor and sobs loudly. "Don't you cry Mary-Alice Brandon Cullen. Don't you dare! You've been missing for hours. How _bloody_ stupid could you be? What possessed you to follow Jasper and the others into these lava tubes? Answer me!"

Alice sniffs. "I wanted to explore too," she says. "I tried to convince Jasper to let me come, but he said no. It's not fair!" she wails. "Bella got to come. Why couldn't I?"

I shake my head at Alice's childish, selfish attitude. Esme stiffens and for a millisecond, I think that she will strike Alice as her hands clench into fists by her side.

"Oh, you wanted to explore did you?," Esme spits at Alice in fury. "Well I hope you've had a good time Alice, because the rest of us have been worried sick about you. And your husband, Jasper – you remember him, don't you, he was put into the position of looking for you, his beloved but selfish wife who has no more sense than a six year old, or rescuing his brother and Bella!"

Alice's face falls at the reprimand delivered by Esme in such strident tones. Esme had never spoke to Alice that way before. In fact, I don't think anyone had ever taken Alice to task so vehemently.

"What do you mean, rescuing Edward and Bella?" Alice asks timidly. She is afraid of Esme at this moment.

"While you were off gallivanting through the lava tubes and getting yourself lost," Esme says coldly, "Edward and Bella were involved in an accident in one of the other tunnels. The floor collapsed and they fell into another cavern below the tunnel. They are trapped and they are injured, Alice. It took Jasper hours to return to camp and alert us. Jasper, Carlisle and Emmett have been in here for three hours trying to pull them out of a bloody big hole and we have no idea how they are faring!" Esme finishes on a half sob.

Alice looks mortified, but she isn't given a chance to respond as Esme is not of a mind to listen to her excuses. She does something I haven't seen since I was in elementary school when Mrs Frank came to the end of her patience with Alec Romano.

She reaches up with her hand toward Alice's filthy hair and takes hold of her ear with a biting grasp of her fingers. Yanking Alice's head down, Esme turns on her heel and begins marching away, dragging Alice behind her. Alice's expression is a picture of dumb-founded shock for a fraction of a second before she yelps in pain as Esme twists her ear.

"Ow! Oooowwww, Esme! Let go!"

I laugh as Esme strides passed me hauling a protesting, screaming Alice behind her who is clinging to Esme's forearm trying to yank the punishing hand away from her head. At least she'd stopped crying and whining. Right now, she was too busy trying to detach Esme's grip from her reddening ear. Unfortunately for Alice, Esme wasn't letting go.

"Come along, Rosalie," Esme orders as she passed me.

Yes ma'am I think silently as I fall in behind her. I don't think I have ever seen Esme so angry in all the years I have known her.

"You fucking kids will be be the death of me," she mutters. "And until recently, I've never sworn so much in my life, let alone say the 'F' word. What are you brats doing to me?" she hisses.

I assume the question is rhetorical, so I remain silent. Alice is still struggling to release herself from Esme's clutches without success.

"Edward and Bella want to explore lava tubes and look where that got them!" Esme continues to mutter. I don't interrupt her. "Rosalie hides the fact that she's feeling unwell when she _knows_ the rules about health and safety on the island." She throws me a filthy look and I quell under her angry shining eyes. "The boys chase after fucking pigs, Rosalie gets bitten and Jasper and Emmett get their hands pecked to pieces by chickens. And you're all gone hours longer than you said you'd be. But it doesn't matter that Mom is worried. Oh no, as long as you're all doing what you want to do, none of you give a shit about what I think. Well enough is enough!" she yells finishing her tirade.

I wisely remain silent. Alice has stopped struggling and has commenced sobbing again. I sigh. A few minutes later we enter the intersection and are confronted by four frantic men and a worried looking Bella.

"Edward!" Esme yells as she lets go of Alice and almost flings her away. Alice sprawls to the ground and curls over sobbing her eyes out and rubbing at her glowing red ear.

"Oh my God, Edward!" Esme cries as she rushes toward her youngest son who is being supported by Carlisle.

Jasper stares at a shit covered Alice and walks over to stand in front of her. He crouches down after a long moment and picks her up in the cradle of his arms. He doesn't say a word to her.

Emmett strides over to me and engulfs me in a bear hug. I encircle his waist and I cling to the man I love above all others.

"I thought I told you stay here, Esme?" Carlisle says. His tone is chilly.

Esme sniffs. "You did, but we heard Alice sobbing, so we went looking for her."

Carlisle's face is thunderous.

"Don't give me any grief, Carlisle," Esme snaps at him. "I've had enough worry over our children lately and I'm not in the mood for any more crap!"

Carlisle's expression is flabbergasted. His mouth tightens but he wisely holds his tongue.

"Let's go home," she says leading the way into the southern tunnel.

No one dares argue.

…

A/N: Some photos are on my blog.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thanks to everyone for all of the reviews. Esme ripping Alice a new one and dragging her off by the ear was popular. I'm going to finish the current story arc with POVs from Esme and Alice before moving onto the next stage of the plot and some romance for Edward and Bella in the following chapters.

Chapter 16 – The Wrath of Cullen

Esme's POV

_Those fucking kids of mine and their wives!_

I march down the southern tube, my back ramrod straight, and my arms pumping at my sides. The sooner we were out of this stinking tunnel the better I would like it. _Fucking volcanoes aren't meant to be explored by amateurs – what the hell were they all thinking? _I must admit though, I'm interested in its geology despite myself, not that I'd admit that to any of them anytime soon.

And Carlisle! Where the hell does he get off reprimanding me in front of our sons? I don't care if he is the head of this family, he doesn't get to speak to me like I'm one of his residents at the hospital. Just you wait until I get you alone Carlisle Masen Cullen.

I dragged my hand through my hair, which is stiff with sweat and dust and I ache for a hot shower and a bucket of soap. No … I ache for a bath. That's what I really want and need. Something I can stretch out in and soak away the hurt and worries until I am soothed and as wrinkled as a prune.

I don't mind bathing in cool water without soap as Carlisle promises me I'm perfectly fresh and clean, but I miss the softness that a quality shampoo and conditioner gives my hair. Not to mention, my roots have grown out an inch since we've been here, displaying more silver hair than I've seen in ten years. I swear I can feel the color fading the longer I fume. I'll probably end up with a Cruella streak through the front of my hair just like my mother did!

"Esme, slow down a bit," Carlisle called out softly.

I sigh, but I slow my pace and then stop as I turn around to face my family. They all stare at me like they've never seen me before.

_What the hell are they looking at?_

I sniff.

"What's wrong, Esme?" Carlisle asks me sternly as he walks toward me. Edward is supported by an exhausted Bella and Emmett, and a sniffling Alice has her face buried in brooding Jasper's neck. Alice is feeling sorry for herself and Jasper has not spoken one word to her since we found her. My mouth tightens in renewed irritation as my gaze moves hurriedly past them to a dusty and tired, but otherwise unscathed Rosalie.

My husband is standing in front of me, staring into my eyes with concern. His large hand lifts to my face, his thumb wiping at the muddy rivulets channeling down my cheeks.

"Esme! You're crying, darling. What's wrong?"

Am I crying? I didn't know. I reach up to my own face and scrub at my skin which is clogged with volcanic dust and is beginning to itch crazily. My fingertips are damp with my tears.

"I don't know, Carlisle. I'm not feeling sad. I'm bloody angry!" I tell him.

"It's reaction, my love. You are angry, but also relieved that your children are safe. Let me clean your eyes and dry your tears so we can get out of here," he offers gently.

I consider refusing because I am still mad at him. I can use the hem of my shirt, but it is covered in dirt and I don't want to get anymore muck in my eyes than I already have. I think that some of my tears are caused by the debris I could feel abrading my eyeballs.

I nod and Carlisle takes something from his medical bag. "Look up, Esme and keep your eyes wide open." I do as I am told and he irrigates my eyes with some saline. It stings, but I can feel some of the grit floating away and my eyes immediately feel better. Carlisle dabs at my eyes with some clean gauze. "Better?" he asks quietly.

I sniff and nod. He gives me a half smile before taking my hand securely in his, leading us all out of the tunnel, and home.

…

Alice's POV

_Oh God! Jasper is so mad at me._

My husband hasn't spoken a word to me since Esme dragged me out of that tunnel. Why did she do that for? I was so scared and all I wanted was a hug, but Esme yelled at me and just about pulled my ear off instead!

I'm certain I lost an earring in that tunnel. I surreptitiously lift my hand to my ear and rub, exploring my lobe for the expected jewelry. It's gone. Shit! That was a diamond as well – Jasper gave me the earrings for our last wedding anniversary. I open my mouth and consider briefly telling Jasper about the missing earring in hopes that will incite him to go back and help me look for it, but I look at his cold stiff face and I hold my tongue - wisely, I feel!

He is looking at me with his eyebrows cocked above flinty blue eyes as he carries me nestled in his strong arms. His eyes are usually alight with love and indulgence when he looks at me, but now all I see is disappointment in their depths. He has noticed the missing earring, but his expression tells me that his tolerance for indulgence is at an end.

Jasper and I are bringing up the rear of the group as we near the tunnel exit. I can hear the sound of parrots screeching in the twilight as they settle into the trees for the night and I wonder what the time is. I feel like I've been in this volcano forever. Whatever made me think exploring these tunnels would be an adventure?

I got lost; I was alone and scared, and I got shit on by hundreds of roosting bats at a dead-end in the tunnel before I reversed direction and ran back the way I'd come.

I pluck at my offensive designer t-shirt, which is now worthless, covered as it is in putrid smelling orange excrement. Now more than ever, I crave a hot shower, French bath soap and my expensive shampoo to wash away the memories and the poop. I can't bear to touch my hair. I can feel the muck dripping off the strands and onto my shoulders while my bangs are plastered to my forehead.

_That fucking shit better be a miracle face mask!_ I scorn inwardly as the disgusting orange stuff coats every pore of my face. I can feel my mouth quiver as my misery escalates and a sob escapes my throat. Jasper tightens his grasp, but otherwise he doesn't offer me any comfort.

I'm not used to that! Jasper is _always_ there to pick up the pieces!

I know I have been moody and sulky lately, but my state has become so fixed, I don't know how to break the cycle of discontent. Jasper, as well as Rosalie has repeatedly encouraged me to talk about whatever is bothering me, but I've held my own counsel telling them nothing is wrong. The fact is I don't know what's wrong anymore. Whatever the initial worry was, it has faded, to be replaced by so many more issues in my own mind that I don't even know what I'm fighting anymore.

"I'm really sorry, Jasper," I whisper.

His mouth tightens. "I know you are, Alice. You always are, but this time, _sorry_ isn't going to be enough," he tells me quietly.

I gulp and wonder what is in store for me when we get home.

…

Esme's POV

When we walk into camp, night has fallen and it is seven o'clock. The day has been exhausting and it's not over yet. Carlisle leaps into action, barking out orders like the Chief of Surgery of Hawaii's premier private hospital – Queens Medical Center that he is … was, I correct myself sadly. His job is probably long gone by now.

"Jasper, get Alice into the shower and get that shit off her. Make sure none of it gets in her nose or mouth. Once you've got her thoroughly rinsed off, I want you to wash her from head to toe with this pre-surgical washing sponge," he orders, handing Jasper a sterile packet.

Jasper nods and strides away, pulling Alice who is now standing behind him toward the shower stall. I watch him stop by the washing line to remove two clean towels and some clothes. He has barely said a word to his wife. I heard her mumble an apology to Jasper while we were still in the tunnel, but he wasn't inclined to meekly accept her words as he's done in the past.

"Rosalie, Emmett, when they're done, I want you both to clean up as well. Get something to eat and rest. I'll want to examine you both later."

"Yes, Dad," Emmett said meekly as he and Rosalie melt away into the dimness toward the cooking area for some food. Emmett is dragging his exhausted and sore body around like an old man. He deserves to take a break for the next few days.

"Esme, can you assist me with Bella and Edward please? I would normally use the opportunity to train Bella further, but with her concussion, I don't think that's a wise move."

"Yes, Carlisle."

"How are you, son?" Carlisle asked Edward who was gripping Bella's hand tightly.

"Couldn't be better, Dad!" he quipped through clenched teeth.

Bella rolled her eyes and I did the same. Edward is white-faced and barely able to stand unassisted, his body drooping with exhaustion and racked with pain. Sweat has beaded along his forehead betraying his true condition to all of us.

Bella doesn't look much better in truth – she is covered in a mass of black and purple bruises that are visible where she isn't clothed. I imagine the bruises I can't see are just as bad.

"How on earth did you not receive any broken bones, Bella," I asked her in astonishment as Carlisle assisted Edward to the medical tent. We followed behind them as I joined my arm with Bella's to support her weight as we walked.

"Luck and unconsciousness," she told me wearily.

I look at her quizzically.

"I read in one of Carlisle's medical journals that unconsciousness people involved in accidents such as falls tend to have fewer injuries that those who are aware of what is about to occur. It's something to do with consciously tensing the body for impact as opposed to being unresponsive and unaware," she told me.

I could see the back of Carlisle's head nod in agreement.

_Oh!_

We went inside the tent and Carlisle helped Edward to sit on the examination table. He scrubbed and dried his hands and removed the sling supporting Edward's arm.

"Esme, situate Bella on the bed over there," Carlisle instructed with an incline of his head toward the corner, "and cover her with a blanket. Then come and scrub your hands and arms. I'm going to need your help with the surgery."

I gulped, but did as I was told. I know what some of the instruments are – of course I do after being married to a doctor for thirty-five years – but I've never assisted Carlisle with a serious injury before.

Bella noticed my nervousness. "I can assist you, Carlisle. I feel fine," she said beginning to swing her legs off the bed.

"Stay where you are," he barked at her as he unwound the bandage and splint from Edward's arm. Bella's eyes widen but she relents, lying back against the pillows once again.

When I turn around from the washing basin, I nearly pass out when I see Edward's injury for the first time. I gasp in horror.

"Oh!"

"It's okay, Mom," Edward said, reaching out to me with his hand to reassure me. Mine reaches out to his at the same time.

"Don't touch her, Edward! Her hands are sterile," Carlisle ordered and our hands fell away. I smile at him wanly instead. Carlisle examines Edward's wound closely. "Very good diagnosis, Bella," he congratulates, "you've learned quickly. I'm very pleased with your progress."

Bella didn't respond. She is asleep, snuffling softly from her bed. Edward looks relieved that she is resting comfortably and Carlisle eyes her contemplatively before returning his attention to Edward.

"Let's get started," he said, picking up some surgical gowns and caps.

What followed was three harrowing and exhausting hours as Carlisle sedated Edward, removed his clothes and covered him with sheets to the neck leaving only his injured arm exposed. He sterilized the skin and began the surgery opening up the wound to expose the broken bone so he could remove the debris and bone fragments. At one point I feel sick and I thought I would vomit. My stress is a combination of worry over my son and reaction to what I am witnessing. I could never work in the medical profession – I don't have the stomach for it!

"I'm going to set the bone now, Esme. Why don't you turn your head away while I do that," offered Carlisle sympathetically.

I nodded and did as he said, flinching visibly at the sound of the bone crunching as it snapped back into place. I shuddered and swallowed down the nausea rising into my throat.

"All done, Esme. A bit more clean-up, and then I'll stitch the wound. Can you shine the flashlight over here please?"

I watch from my peripheral vision as my husband expertly stitches the muscle over the bone, inserts a drain and closes the wound. Once the wound is bandaged and the arm secured in a brace, Carlisle administers a cocktail of antibiotics and painkillers via an injection and brings Edward back to consciousness.

"Edward? Can you hear me, Edward?" asked Carlisle as he checked Edward's vital signs. I breathed a sigh of relief when Carlisle's face expressed his satisfaction with the statistics. My husband's tense posture relaxes a little as the tension releases from his neck and shoulders.

"Hmmm," Edward moaned.

"We're all done, son. We'll move you in a little while and then you can sleep, okay."

"'Kay. House … Berra?" he slurred.

"Bella's fine, Edward – still sleeping. I'm going to check on her now."

"'Kay."

"Esme, go and get a couple of water bottles and fill them with boiled water. I don't want Edward or Bella consuming anything that might be contaminated."

I nod my understanding, stripping the gloves, gown and cap from my body and discarding them into a basket on the floor. When I look up, Carlisle is gazing at me with love and pride as he removes his own soiled attire.

"You did well, my love. Never doubt your ability as a mother, and as a strong woman," he said to me.

I want to cry. A second later, I do, sobbing into my hands. Carlisle pulls me into his arms and embraces me tightly, kissing the top of my filthy hair as he croons nonsense and words of love in my ear. I want to tell him not to touch my hair, because it was so dirty and I'm sure it smelled awful, but I don't have the energy, or the desire to let him go.

After what seemed like only seconds, but which was really five full minutes, Carlisle asked me if I was okay.

"Y...yes," I sniffle, wiping my eyes.

"Alright then, love. Off you go. Send Jasper and Emmett in, will you? I need them to help me lift Edward onto a bed and then I'm going to treat Bella's head wound."

"Okay." I reach up and kissed Carlisle's mouth, holding his face in my hands. He responded and returned my kiss. It is an act of relief and comfort rather than one of passion – that would come later, in private. I was still mad at him and my children – I count all six of the brats as my kids – and tomorrow they would feel the 'Wrath of Cullen' as I verbally box their ears.

…

Alice's POV

Jasper remained stonily silent as he led me over to the shower, stopping briefly to collect towels and fresh clothes for both of us.

"Stay here," he commanded. I watched him furtively as he walked over to the cooking area. I couldn't really see what he was doing in the dimness that lay over the camp, but he was back a few moments later carrying a bucket.

A bucket with steam rising off the top. I gasped.

_Hot water!_

Jasper placed the bucket on a stool by the shower stall, turned me around so that my back was to him, and began stripping off my ruined clothes.

"Lift your arms," he told me as he took hold of the hem of my shirt. I did as I was told. I felt the clip of my bra being released and then he turned me around again, pulling the bra away from me as he did. For some crazy reason, I was feeling shy and exposed in the face of my husbands angry demeanor. I shivered and crossed my arms over my body, cupping my breasts with my hands.

Jasper's eyelids flickered but otherwise he gave no indication that he'd noticed my reaction, moving on to release my belt and then my jeans button and zipper. He pulled them down my hips and thighs, taking my panties with them until they were bunched around my knees. I brought one of my hands down to cover my exposed mound.

"Lift your foot," he ordered. I did as he asked, almost losing my balance as Jasper yanked the boot off my ankle and foot. The thick sock followed soon after. A moment later the other boot and sock was removed and I stood before Jasper completely naked.

My husband didn't react to the sight of my nakedness one iota. Normally, even a flash of boob, thigh or pussy was enough to make him lick his lips enticingly. Not this time. He ignored me. My gaze wandered to his crotch, hoping to see if at least his dick was happy to see me, but it too was standing down and ignoring me. My whole body sagged in defeat. Tears of rejection seeped from my eyes and I sniffed.

Jasper turned away and started the cold water of the shower flowing, then quickly stripped off his own clothes until all that remained were his boxers.

"Get in!" he clipped, his mouth pinched into a straight line.

I gulped, edging slowly toward the cold spray. Although I wanted to clean the bat shit from my skin, the thought of an icy cold shower made me shrivel up inside.

"NOW!" Jasper hissed.

I scurried into the shower, gasping and shuddering under the chilly flow of water. "Aaahhhh, ahh," I groaned, shivering and my teeth began to chatter. For the next ten minutes, Jasper scrubbed at my hair and my skin until every trace of the orange splatters were gone. He remained chillingly silent other than to tell me to turn or bend over. I complied with every command, hoping by some miracle to earn my husbands sympathy rather than his acrimony.

He wasn't softening. I sighed, then perked up slightly when Jasper dipped a plastic jug into the bucket of hot water filling it half way. He topped it up with cold water from the shower before motioning me to bend over so he could saturate my hair again. The warm water felt blissful, but made my chilly scalp tingle as it reacted to the change in temperature.

"Stay there," he ordered. I stayed. I heard plastic ripping, and then Jasper scrubbed at my hair with a sponge that smelled strongly of hospital grade antiseptic. I sneezed violently twice, rocking back and forth reflexively as Jasper fiercely scrubbed clean my ears, behind my ears and my neck.

_Ow!_

I flinched, but Jasper wouldn't let up, soaping my entire body with the antiseptic sponge until every inch of me was washed, including between my fingers and toes. He picked up a nail brush and scrubbed beneath my fingernails, then sponged at my face – more gently this time – until he was satisfied that I was as clean as I was going to get.

I luxuriated in the warm water that flowed over my head and my body as Jasper rinsed the soap from me. The use of soap to wash with – even an antiseptic one – was almost worth getting covered in bat shit for.

_I wonder if I can nick another one of those sponges to use another time? Hmm._

Jasper tossed me a towel. "Dry off and get dressed," he said firmly. "You've got some explaining to do," he told me as he nudged me out of the shower stall. I turned around to eye Jasper warily as he picked up the sponge and used the remaining soapiness to clean up in his own shower.

I gulped worriedly again, but did as he said, drying off quickly. The night air was cold on my wet skin making my nipples tighten as the breeze caressed them. I hazarded a glance at Jasper's face and I caught him looking at my breasts. Despite his anger with me, his body could no longer resist the visual enticement my nakedness offered, and his dick began to harden and rise to attention.

I smirked.

Jasper hissed angrily, and turned his back on me.

_Fuck you, Jasper!_

I dress quickly and flounce off in a huff, making a bee-line for the sleeping hut. _Asshole! _If he thinks I'm gonna wait around for him to berate me like I'm a naughty child, he has another fucking thing coming! _Bastard!_

I race past Rosalie and Emmett who are sitting at the dining table, ignoring their greetings and questions as my rage consumes me. I slam open the door of the hut, letting it bang shut behind me. My chest is heaving as I stand ramrod straight, my hands clenching beside me.

I want to smash something! I look around, but there is nothing and I feel defeated. It is an emotion I've felt a great deal of lately. My wild gaze lands on our twin beds joined together to make one larger one. I fly across the hut and haul Jasper's sleeping pallet across the top of Rosalie and Emmett's beds until it is re-situated on the other side of Emmett's leaving a gap between mine and Rosalie's. Kneeling down, I push the mattresses together so that Rosalie and Emmett are now sleeping between Jasper a me.

Slapping my hands together triumphantly, I fling off my flip-flops and throw myself onto my single bed, pulling the covers up and over my head. I lay there stewing for what seems like hours, but which is really only minutes, until the rage extinguishes itself and I cry myself to sleep.

…

I wake hours later and open my eyes to see Jasper sitting cross-legged beside me, staring at me. His chin is resting on his clasped hands, his elbows resting on his knees as he contemplates me.

"Hi," I rasp. My throat is scratchy from my crying.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes."

"Good. Get up, Alice. We need to talk and Rosalie and Emmett want to go to bed."

"I'm tired Jasper, I want to sleep. We can talk in the morning," I said, rolling over and presenting my back to him.

The covers are flung off me, settling into a mound at my feet. Jasper clasps my shoulder and rolls me gently, but firmly onto my back. He is bent over, resting on his hands and knees with his face directly over mine, and he is livid.

"Get. Up. NOW!" his hisses at me quietly. His tone is chilly.

I consider ignoring him, then I realize I might as well get it over with.

"Alright! I'm getting up. Keep your shirt on, Jasper!" I snark at him as I push him away. I am stretching my luck and I know it. It makes no difference as I glare at him.

"Put these beds back they way they were, Alice. You're not being fair to Rosalie and Emmett." He pauses by the door. "Don't disappoint me again, Alice Cullen," he said, pointedly looking at the rearranged sleeping accommodations.

Five minutes later, I stride past Jasper on my way to the dining table having considered for the first four minutes whether I will do as Jasper asked or leave it as it was. In the end I relented, but only because of Rosalie and Emmett.

Jasper reaches out and snags hold of my wrist, halting my forward motion. "We're going to the beach, Alice. Get a jacket. We'll see you in the morning," Jasper called to Rosalie and Emmett. "Don't wait up." Rosalie smiles sadly at me and Emmett barely raises a hand in acknowledgment.

…

"Okay, Jasper, we're at the beach. Are you going to speak to me now, or continue to give me the cold shoulder?" I snap at him.

"No. No more cold shoulder, Alice," he says quietly. Too quietly. "How does a hiding sound instead?"

"Wha … what?" I gasped, shocked.

"Instead of being out in the cold, you'll be sporting a shiny pink ass as red as the lava that once flowed through the tubes you were so eager to explore – and on your own no less – even after I expressly forbade you from going in."

"Oh, you are joking, surely, Jasper?"

"Nope!"

"Well you can go to hell, Jasper. There is no way, I'm letting you spank me. Are you out of your fucking mind?" I yelled.

"NO!" he roared at me. "Were you?"

I open my mouth to respond, but close it again with a snap when I can't think of a response that won't sound childish. An hour into the tunnel, I did think I was out of my mind for following them in, but I wasn't about to let Jasper know that!

"You acted thoughtlessly, Alice. Mom, Dad, Rosalie and Emmett had no idea where you were and all of our stress levels magnified ten-fold when I returned to camp with the news of the accident and they told me you weren't there!"

I gulped and paled.

"The one thing that kept me going for four hours was thinking that you were safe in camp and not down that fucking hole, injured or dying with Edward and Bella."

Jasper bowed his head and cradled it in his hands, rubbing at his eyes with his palms. When he looked up, tears were tracking down his face. I gasped.

"Do you have _any_ idea just how terrified I was for you, Alice? I knew ... KNEW you'd followed us in. I had no idea which way you might have gone once you reached the cross-roads. I was sick with worry and I was forced into making a choice. A fucking choice I _never_ want to have to make again, Alice. Do you know what that choice was?" I whispered.

I shake my head at him slowly, but I vaguely know what the choice was because I remember Esme squawking something at me as she berated me in the tunnel.

"I'll tell you, Alice. I had to choose between you - my wife, or my brother and Bella. The first rule of search and rescue, Alice – you recover the victims you know the location of."

He shook his head sadly, swiping at his wet cheeks. I mirrored his action because I'd started crying again as well. I was fed up with crying. It was exhausting.

"I hope that's a choice you never have to make, Alice. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I would have taken you into the tunnels, Alice. I told you I would take you in after I'd explored them and deemed them safe. You just couldn't wait, could you?"

I remained silent. What was there to say. He was right.

"No excuses to offer me in your defense, Alice?"

"No," I said, ashamed of myself.

"What has gotten into you lately?" Jasper asks me beseechingly. I can tell he really wants to know. He wants to help if he can.

I shrug.

"Well, there's the answer I've been getting for weeks now. Let's see if a sore ass and an inability to sit down for a week will shake it out of you," he said as he picked me up and threw my body over his shoulder in a fireman's lift.

"What! Jasper! Put me down," I yell, pounding his back and waving my legs about. I think I might have kneed him in the chest when he grunted. He ignored me and strode over to a fallen log, swinging me down into his arms, and flipping me over his knees as he sat down.

"Keep still, Alice, and take your punishment like the mature woman you're supposed to be!" he hissed at me. I felt my shorts and panties being pulled down until they hung around my knees. Jasper rested one muscled arm across my lower back and rubbed his hand in circles over my rump warming the skin in the chilly night air. I was still struggling to free myself when I felt it.

SMACK!

_Oooowwww! I howled internally._

"That's number one for lying to Mom and Dad about where you were going!"

SMACK!

"That's number two for blatantly disobeying me!"

"Ow! Oooww!" I yelped.

SMACK!

"That's number three for getting lost in the cave!"

I was sobbing outright now.

SMACK!

"That's number four for making me die a thousand deaths while I worried my self sick about you!"

SMACK!

That's number five for caring more about your fucking lost earring than your idiotic behavior!"

I gasped.

"Yes, Alice!" he hissed. "I _know_ you wanted to look for your earring. I know you too well. You'll just have to fucking live without it!"

SMACK!

"That's for even _thinking_ about stealing another antiseptic sponge. I saw you eying it Alice. I won't have it. The rest of us are doing without soap, so can you!"

The spanking went on until Jasper had delivered an even ten slaps to my ass, which was absolutely on fire by the time he'd finished. At the end of the punishment we were both crying unashamedly. I slumped over his legs without the energy to even fall off his lap. I didn't want to. I wanted my husband to cuddle me and tell me everything would be alright; that he didn't hate me; that he still loved me despite my juvenile behavior.

He must have read my mind, turning me over and gathering me into his arms. I curled up and hugged him tightly. If I could, I think I would crawl inside him. I sobbed in his arms until my head was pounding and I didn't have any more tears left to shed. At some point, I straddled his hips and laid my hot face against his chest. Jasper soothed me by stroking one hand over my dry hair and one over my burning ass.

"Are we okay, Alice?" Jasper asked me worriedly.

I sniffed. "Yes. I love you, Jasper."

"I love you too, Alice. More than I think you'll ever know."

I sighed and snuggled deeper into his arms.

"Talk to me, Alice," he begged.

"Okay."

…

Esme's POV

I barely slept over night. Carlisle didn't come to bed at all – he sat up all night so he could check on Edward and Bella every hour. I got up after a couple of hours to go and sit with Carlisle at the table, one of our bed blankets wrapped around my shoulders. I brought one out for Carlisle, but he shook his head. He opened his arms so I could cuddle against him.

"How is he?" I whisper.

"He's doing well, Maisy. He's sleeping comfortably and there is no sign of any infection – no fever."

"Will his arm be okay?"

Carlisle didn't say anything for a long moment. "Yes, he will regain the use of his arm."

"And Bella? How is she? Is her concussion serious?"

"Bella is recovering well also. Her headache is gone and she's responding to stimuli. She'll have a nice scar on the back of her head, but otherwise I don't foresee any further problems."

"That's good. It's amazing that she survived that fall without any other injuries."

"Yes, Bella's explanation was absolutely correct. Of course, luck plays a big part as she explained to you earlier."

"Hmm. How … how far did they fall?"

"Jasper estimates they fell about 20 feet."

I gasp. "Oh my God, Carlisle. That's two stories!"

"Yes. They were both extremely fortunate not to be killed or more seriously injured."

"Hmm. Well luck isn't going to play a part any longer. Good old fashioned common sense and planning is what I expect from those bratty kids from now on. I expect you to support me in this, Carlisle. I've allowed you to overrule me on other matters, but no more. Are we in agreement?"

Carlisle's eyes twinkled as he looked down at me. "Mother hen is coming home to roost," he teased me.

"You'd better believe it! So, are we?"

"Yes, Maisy. We're in agreement. No more half-baked explorations or adventures. Only well thought out and planned projects will receive our support from now on."

"Good," I said as I drift off to sleep in Carlisle's arms, but not before I see Jasper and Alice return home – arm-in-arm – in the early hours of the morning. Alice is walking funny. I thought it was odd as I slipped away.

…

I wake at first light, groggy and sore, and in need of about another five hours sleep. I am resting over the table with two blankets around my body. Carlisle is moving around in the medical tent, tending to Edward and Bella. I am eager to see how my son is for myself! I stretch the stiffness from my bones and muscles, my spine cracking as I stand up to join him.

_By the Gods, I am too bloody old to be sleeping upright in a hard chair at the kitchen table!_

"Good morning," I said as I stand at the tent door.

"Hi, Mom," Edward greets me tiredly.

"Oh, Edward," I half sob. "I'm so glad to see you awake," I said as I rush toward him. I lean down and hug him awkwardly, trying not to touch his broken arm.

"Don't cry, Mom. I'm fine, really," Edward tried to assure me.

"No you're not! You have a broken arm and it could have been so much worse."

"But it wasn't, Mom. Everything worked out in the end."

"Hmmph," I huff impatiently. I notice Bella sitting cross-legged on her own sick bed, smiling wryly at my mother-henning. Other than looking filthy, bruised and tired, she seemed well recovered from her ordeal.

"Oh, Bella love. Are you okay?" I ask her as I hold my arms out to her. She looks unsure for a moment, before she gets off the bed and leans into my embrace. I rub my cheek against her head and rub her back comfortingly. Her hair is stiff with perspiration, blood and dirt and I am sure she will want to shower and wash her hair.

"Help me up, Dad, will you?" I hear Edward ask.

"You're not getting up, Edward, surely? Stay in bed today. Rest. You deserve it."

"I want to get up, Mom. I've been sleeping all night. I want to get up and move around and I'd kill for a shower."

"Me too," said Bella with a chuckle.

"Hmm. Okay, well I expect you to do as you're told today, both of you. I'll go and heat some water so you can rinse off in warm water. Carlisle?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you give Bella and Edward one of the those sponges each. I think they'd both enjoy washing with soap, even if it is an antiseptic."

I didn't wait for a response, fussing over my bewildered children a few more moments before striding away to get the water ready and prepare breakfast. I also had the lecture festering in my mind to polish up. I was whipping up some of the eggs Prissie and Chrissie laid to make omelets when Rosalie greeted me.

"Good morning, Esme."

I look her over carefully. She is a bit green about the gills, but otherwise she seemed to be holding her own this morning.

"Morning, Rose. Where's Emmett?"

"Bathroom."

"Ah."

"How are you feeling this morning, Rose?"

"Much better than yesterday morning. Do you think the morning sickness is over?" she asked me hopefully.

I scoff. "I doubt it, Rosalie. You're just having a good day. Tomorrow could be ten times worse."

"Oh joy!"

I laugh at the expression on her face. It brought back memories of my own experiences with pregnancy. Each one was different, but similar at the same time. I was fortunate not to have too many problems and fairly easy births. I wished for a similar outcome for Rosalie.

"Can you watch these omelets, Rose while I take this hot water to the shower for Edward and Bella?"

"Sure, Esme."

"Those two are for Emmett and Carlisle. Serve them up as soon as they're ready."

When I arrive at the shower, I nearly walk in on Edward and Bella who are partly naked and necking. I blushed when Bella moaned and Edward groaned. It was one thing to know that your son is a sexual person, and another thing entirely to catch him at it!

I duck back out of sight, giving them a moment. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but that's how it turned out.

"Oh, Bella," Edward moaned. "You feel so good."

"So do you. I wanted to crawl into bed with you last night, but I was afraid of hurting you," she told him.

"You should have. I would have slept so much better. I miss not being close to you when I sleep."

Bella giggled. I heard soft, moist smacking sounds as they kissed again.

"We've technically only spent one night in each others arms," Bella reminded Edward as they broke apart.

I could almost hear him pouting and I bit back my own girlish giggle.

"Yes I know, but I've gotten used to sleeping close beside you with only a few inches separating our bodies in the night."

"Well tonight or perhaps today if we take a nap, I'll make it up to you," Bella whispered in a seductive tone. "How's that?"

"Perfect!" he replied, drawing out the word. Bella giggled again and I decided to interrupt them before they commenced necking again and the water I carried went cold.

"Ahem," I said, announcing myself. I saw them jump apart. Edward's face flushed as red as a tomato. I smirk at them and leave the steaming bucket on the stool. "Breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes. I expect to see you both there," I said to them firmly before I spun on my heel and left to give them some privacy.

…

Over breakfast, the boys discussed the previous day and explained the rescue to those of us who weren't in the western tunnel. With every sentence, my ire grew in intensity until I was enraged once again.

Alice stiltedly described her trek into the northern tunnel, which turned out to be a dead-end inhabited by hundreds of fruit bats. Unfortunately, she'd disturbed their sleep with the bright flashlight and her terrified screeching. They swooped her, some of them clinging to her hair, and as she fought them off she screamed louder, provoking the bats to retaliate and band together to force her out of their domain. I don't think the bats defense mechanism was shitting all over the enemy, but as soon as they took flight from their inverted roosting position, the orange pummeling began, driving Alice back into the tunnel.

I thought it was funny until I remembered the agony of worry Alice had caused me and Jasper and my tolerance flat-lined. I stood up abruptly, opposite Carlisle at the head of the table, and eyed my family with a mixture of love and loathing.

"That's enough!" I yelled.

Stunned silence reigned.

"You fucking kids think that yesterday was some great adventure? Well I've got news for you all. It bloody well wasn't. In fact, it was terrifying. I did _not _spend my entire adult life raising you boys and welcoming the women in your lives into my heart, only to chance losing you all on some ill-conceived, ill-planned adventure!"

Edward opened his mouth to speak. He closed it with a snap of his teeth when I glared at him. Jasper remained silent. He was always the quiet one.

"I have had enough! From now on, you _will_ listen to my opinions," I hiss at my family, thumping the table with my fist for added emphasis.

"From now on, every exploration into unknown territory _will_ be discussed by the entire family, and planned out to the nth degree unless it's an emergency situation." I looked into the wide, startled eyes of my children.

Emmett's mouth is hanging open in astonishment. He's never seen his meek and mild mother lose it; not even when he and his brothers were rambunctious children, and then horny, hormone laden teenagers.

"From now on, you _will_ be mindful of your health (I look pointedly at Rosalie who blushes and scowls), and you _will_ consider all of the risks before running off into the wide blue yonder! From now on, _no one,_ and I mean NO ONE goes wandering off on their own, especially into areas that are unfamiliar (I glare pointedly at Alice who squirms in her seat). Am I making myself perfectly clear?"

There was a collective nod and a nervous chorus of, "Yes ma'am," from all of them.

Carlisle gazed at me with a light in his eye. I know what that light means. I did a bit of squirming myself as I feel a tingling down below.

"You are all dismissed, except you Carlisle. I'd like to speak with you in private if you don't mind?"

He smirked at me.

_Oh honey. Don't get your hopes up just yet. I've still got a _bone_ to pick with you!_

…

A/N: In no way do I pretend to know anything about surgery or how to repair a broken arm.

A few pictures are on my blog, but nothing graphic.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Hello everyone. Apologies for the delay in updating. After I sold my flat, I was busy packing, moving and cleaning, and then unpacking in my new place. Once I'd done all of that, I discovered my muse had completely shut up shop and I had nothing, nada, zilch. Until I started writing fiction last year, I had no idea how hard it is to push through when writers block hits – it's like striking a plateau on a diet. No matter how much you try, how much you exercise or how little you eat, nothing changes from week to week. Your frustration builds and you feel like throwing in the towel until one day, you step onto the scales and you've lost another pound. Writers block is a little bit like that …

Thanks to FL Sunshine for PM'ing me with her concern about my health and the delay in updates. You helped me fight off my funk!

…

_Previously in Wrecked with Bella: Jasper, Edward and Bella were exploring the lava tubes when Edward and Bella fell through a hole in the floor into a cavern below. Both were trapped and injured. Jasper found his way back to camp to get help and discovered that Alice is missing. The Cullen's depart for the lava tubes leaving Esme and a pregnant Rosalie at the cross-road while the men head down the western tunnel. While Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle rescue Bella and Edward, Rosalie and Esme find Alice who followed the trio of explorers into the tubes, but she got lost in the northern tunnel, which turned out to be a dead-end and a haven for roosting fruit bats. Esme is pissed off and rips Alice a new one, dragging her out of the tunnel by the ear. The whole family returns to camp where Carlisle operates on Edward's broken arm with Esme's assistance while Bella sleeps off her concussion. Jasper tries to get Alice to talk to him, but resorts to spanking her for her thoughtless and selfish behavior when she basically blows off his concerns. Meanwhile, Rosalie and an exhausted Emmett head off to bed leaving them all to it. The next morning, Esme reads them all the riot act and lays down some new rules …_

…

Chapter 17 – Moody Blues

"Come on, Edward," Bella wheedled. "Come with me to the temple. You've been sitting around camp for a week now. You need to _do_ something other than moping, about _not_ being able to do anything," she told me for what felt like the millionth time. She stood in front of me clad in a black one-piece swimsuit and a pair of cut-off denim shorts, her fists resting against her hips.

I scowled at Bella from my prone position on a folding beach chair before my moody gaze swung back to my father and brothers hard at work building the house. We were nearly at move-in stage and it wasn't a moment too soon. The weather was deteriorating as the wet season progressed. The constant rain with it's accompanying humidity was driving us all insane and none of us were sleeping well in the close quarters of the sleeping hut.

After a day of rest following our collective experience in the lava tubes the entire family (except me) had thrown themselves into finishing the house so we could move in by Thanksgiving. The first level of the house was almost complete. My family had been pushing themselves to complete the interior walls, install the salvaged fixtures and fittings, and build the furniture we needed. I felt useless, because having a broken arm (which ached like a son of a bitch, by the way) made it almost impossible for me to _do_ anything remotely constructive.

I was not accustomed to being useless.

I didn't like it.

Not. At. All.

Bella's exasperated voice interrupted my reverie. "_Do_ something, Edward, anything, please! For gods sake, stop brooding!"

"I don't want to Bella!" I snarled at her as I leapt quickly to my feet. "Just leave me the fuck alone for fucks sake!" I hissed as I stalked away.

The expression of resigned hurt on her face gnawed at my gut every time I rejected her advances. We hadn't spent any quality time together since the day following our rescue from the cave. I quickly become depressed when it became apparent to me that I wasn't going to be able to do anything to help my family for weeks. I couldn't even cut up my own food and I'd needed help using the shower and the john before I figured out a way to get my pants up and down one-handed.

I slammed open the door of the sleeping hut and flung myself onto my sleeping pallet. I fisted my unruly hair, tugging on it ruthlessly. I really needed a haircut, badly. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I wondered whether I was going to have a girlfriend for much longer. Bella had been putting up with my moody shit all week. Considering we'd only progressed our relationship from friends to lovers the day before all the lava tube shit went down, I was amazed she was still sticking around. Not that there was anywhere else she could go.

"Edward?" I looked up at Jasper standing just inside the door. "Let's go for a walk," he said quietly with an inclination of his head in the direction of the beach. I shook my head and closed my eyes dismissively. Jasper nudged my leg with his shoe.

"It wasn't a request, Edward. You're behaving like an ass. Get up, we're gonna talk. I'll be outside – don't keep me waiting more than a minute," he ordered in a no-nonsense tone. The door clacked shut behind him.

Childishly, I waited nearly the full minute allotted to me before struggling to my feet. My mobility was rooted. I was used to leaping up from my bed on the floor with perfect balance. Having a broken arm that was immobilized in a sling played havoc with my body's equilibrium – the greatest source of my frustration and moodiness.

Jasper opened the door and stared at me with a raised brow just as I stepped off the sleeping pallet. I scowled and slipped my sunglasses from my shirt pocket, sliding them onto my face. They served to hide my eyes from the censure of my family who'd all stopped their activities to stare at me. Bella gazed at me from her place in the cooking area where she was preparing lunch. Her expression reflected the hurt I'd inflicted on her, making me feel (quite rightly) like a damned heel.

We walked the short distance to the beach in heavy silence. Jasper took a seat on a rock while I picked up some shells and started flinging them into the water in a kind of silent stand-off. It lasted all of five minutes before Jasper got fed up waiting for me to say something.

"What the _fuck_ is wrong with you, Edward?"

I turned to glare at him. "Nothing!"

"Bullshit!"

I opened my mouth and then closed it again. I tried again, but I had nothing. I huffed impatiently. I couldn't think of anything to say in my own defense that wouldn't sound juvenile and selfish.

"Are you _trying_ to drive Bella away?" he asked me forthrightly. "Because if you are, I think it's working!" he told me, not pulling any punches.

I glared at him again. He raised those brows of his while waiting for a mature response.

"No. I … I just … I just feel so fucking useless," I moaned. I sounded whiny even to my ears.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "You're _not_ useless, Edward. You're recovering from a serious injury. If we were back in Hawaii, you'd still probably be in the hospital on a cocktail of intravenous antibiotics."

"Yes, but we're not. We're here, on this island!" I spat out. "While everyone else is working day and night to get the house finished, I'm sitting around on my fucking ass acting like a lazy fucking site manager!"

"Is that your excuse for treating Bella like shit! Because if it is, it's not a very good one. I thought you really cared about her, but you're treating her little better than some stranger you were forced to talk to while trapped in an elevator."

I could feel my bottom lip settle into a sulky pout. "She won't stop pushing," I mumbled.

"What?"

"I _said_ … I said she won't stop pushing me," I repeated sulkily. "She's constantly trying to get me to do stuff with her. But, everything I try has to be redone and you're all overworked and tired as it is. For fucks sake, I've only just figured out a way to hold my pants up so I can zip and button them after I take a piss."

"Bullshit!" Jasper refuted again.

"_What_? I have too! If I pull my pants up and then sit down, they'll stay around my waist long enough for me to pull the zipper up." I scowled at Jasper. I was quite proud of my achievement.

"Fuck, Edward. I'm not talking about your potty training!" (I scowled at his implication). "I'm talking about you acting all woe-is-me. There's plenty you can do around camp if you'd simply acknowledge your limitations. You can't be perfect at everything all the time – especially now! The only one ragging on you, Edward, is you! And you're taking it out on the rest of us, but especially Bella," Jasper lectured me.

I fisted my hair in frustration. He wasn't getting it. "I just _want_ her to leave me alone!" I yelled.

"WHY?" Jasper yelled right back.

"Because I'm no good for her! I'm jinxed. Everything that's happened to us – to her on this fucking trip is _my_ fault!

Jasper looked stunned. "_What_?"

I stared at my brother in disbelief. How could he not blame me?

"Bella would have died from secondary drowning if not for Dad and Rosalie – all because I took too long to rescue her from the water. And, AND," I emphasized with a pointed finger as my voice rose, "she wouldn't have fallen overboard from sea sickness in the first place, if _I_ hadn't been distracted while pirates boarded Victory, imprisoning all of us and stealing all of our gear! All of this," I yelled as I waved my good arm around at the island, "is my fault! I'm supposed to be the expert on sailing and look where we are. I'm a _fucking_ navy Lieutenant for Christs sake. And then, THEN, I let Bella come with us into the lava tube even though my gut instinct was to make her stay in camp, and she falls through the floor. She could have been killed!"

"But she wasn't. None of _this,_" Jasper repeated my arm-waving gesture, "is your fault, Edward. You really do take too much responsibility on your shoulders. We're not shipwrecked because pirates stole our gear, we're shipwrecked because a bloody hurricane tossed us around for hours and dumped us on a reef, tearing a hole in the hull. _You're_ the reason we made it to land safely, Edward! _You're_ the reason Bella didn't drown and _you'r_e the reason she survived eight hours trapped in a lava tube cave with a serious head injury!"

"Actually, that was mutual care," I corrected Jasper. "Bella looked after me down there as much as I looked after her."

"Exactly! We look after each other. We help where and when we can, and we don't cast blame, point fingers or jeer at each others shortcomings, real or perceived. You're the only one who has a problem with your minimal contribution right now, or your role in our current circumstances. No one else blames you, Edward – we're only glad that we're all alive! Get down from the pedestal you've put yourself on, bro – the world _does not _revolve around _you_," Jasper told me scornfully.

I was stunned into silence. _What the fuck? _I stared at my brother for long moments, perfectly still except for the blinking of my eyes. _How bloody conceited does he think I am? _I narrowed my eyes at my brother.

"I _do not_ think I'm the center of the world, Jasper," I spat at him. He raised his eyebrows. I was really beginning to hate that gesture of his.

"No?"

"No! But as captain of the boat that brought us to our _idyllic_ surroundings," I said with a sneer in my tone, "I am responsible for the safety and wellbeing of everyone here! How can I do that when I can't even cut up my own food?" I yelled.

"No, you're not responsible! If we weren't your family, if the trip was a commercial charter or a navy cruise, then I concede you'd have a responsibility, but it wasn't either of those," Jasper refuted firmly. "It was a family cruise with a friend along for the ride. It was a holiday that went wrong and it wasn't your fault. Every single one of us brings skills and knowledge to the table. Each one of us can make our lives better here if we all work together. We won't survive if we aren't all in this together, bro – working together. It isn't always about brute strength or taking command, Edward, sometimes it's the little things we do that count just as much. Sometimes, you just need to let someone in and help you out."

Jasper sighed as I silently mulled over what he'd said. I heard what he was saying, but his sound logic was fighting with my navy training, which told me to take the leadership role, be in control, keep everyone safe, and make the hard, unpopular decisions. To do that, I needed to keep myself aloof – a silo. I'd seen my commanding officers do it all the time. They didn't make friends with their subordinate officers, or the men; they didn't stop to shoot-the-breeze, and they certainly didn't have relationships with members of the opposite sex while at sea.

I sighed. _We _weren't _at sea and I _wasn't _the commanding officer. The men and women around me are my my parents and brothers, my sisters-in-law and my girlfriend. A girlfriend I was driving away with my moody blues._

"Oh, fuck man. I've been a real dick," I confessed, grabbing a fist-full of my hair and tugging hard.

"Yep!" Jasper agreed.

"What do I do?" I begged him. "I need to fix this!"

"Well, first you apologize to everyone for your moody attitude. Secondly, you apologize to Bella in a more personal way and you grovel if you need to. She's a great girl, Edward, and she seems to really care about you. Don't drive her away, bro, we could be here a long time."

I nodded. Both of those were reasonable requests and more importantly, deserved.

"Thirdly, you offer to help. Just because you can't climb the scaffolding or scale the roof, doesn't mean you can't contribute. I know for a fact that Mom and Bella could use some help harvesting and preserving the garden crop, and I think Bella has something goin' on. I'm sure she'd love some help. It's something you can do together. Think of all the private time you'd get," Jasper teased with a wiggle of his brows. It was a change from the raised brows of censure I was used to.

"Why aren't you a shrink?" I asked him as we headed back to camp.

He just chuckled and shook his head dismissively. "I like pineapples and tropical fruits. The family business provides enough drama in my life … not to mention my wife," he mumbled. I don't think he intended for me to hear that last part.

Jasper was president of the plantation management division in the family company. He made sure all the Sunshine Fruit farms spread across the Hawaiian islands were run with an 'aluminum' hand as he called it – firm but flexible when he needed to be. Jasper's innovations in land and crop management had doubled output and tripled the divisions profits in the last five years. Jasper loved everything about the out-doors. He tried to spend at least half his work week out on the land, inspecting the fruit and helping out with the harvest when he could. He'd hired multiple office assistants to make that possible. He spent the rest of his available time participating in out-door pursuits with Alice or his friends. Sometimes, Emmett and I went along as well.

"How _is_ Alice?" I asked him after a minute of companionable silence. Jasper and Alice's relationship had been somewhat strained for the past week. He hadn't said anything, but I think he and Alice had had words over her dangerous jaunt into the lava tubes. Alice had been moody, irritable, crabby and out-of-sorts for weeks now. This past week though, she'd been quiet, subdued and teary – the polar opposite of her recent state of mind and nothing like her usual jubilant personality of a few months ago. I hadn't actually seen her cry, but her eyes were always shiny with unshed tears.

"She's better." Now it was my turn to cock my eyebrows in disbelief.

"Alright, she's not better, she's different," Jasper corrected. "I think I preferred her crabbiness and irritation over the quiet, sad woman my wife has morphed into."

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't really know," he confessed as he agitatedly scratched at his scalp, reminding me of my own habit. Hair torture, as a coping mechanism seemed to be a family trait. "I've asked her to talk to me and she's opened up a bit, but I can't seem to get to the root of the problem." Jasper's tone was one of abject frustration.

"Have you talked to Dad? Maybe there's a medical explanation," I suggested.

"No," he sighed. "I wanted to, but Alice became hysterical when I suggested it and begged me not to. She promised she'd get better, that she'd try harder. I gave in against my better judgment when she wouldn't stop sobbing."

I stared at him incredulously. He called me out over my shit after only one week and he let his wife get away with it for months. _Fuck that!_

"Ahm, Jasper? Do you think perhaps it's, you know, a chemical problem or a … female thing?" I whispered. "You really should talk to Dad. If there's something medically wrong with Alice, Mom and Dad are gonna be super pissed that you kept it to yourself."

Jasper stopped on the path, an expression of contemplation on his face, his hand buried in his hair. "What makes you think it's a chemical problem?"

"I don't know, man. It just seems like Alice is acting out of character." I fisted my own hair so that I was a mirror image of my brothers stance. Fuck, talking about this shit is embarrassing, but I soldiered on. I owed it my brother. "I mean, I know Alice and Rosalie get a bit um, moody each month if you know what I mean and I assume Bella does as well. Emmett's certainly never been shy about regaling us with stories about Rosalie's monthly tirades, but this recent change in Alice's personality seems a bit over-the-top. Um, not her … usual MO," I said as I flushed twelve shades of red.

Understanding dawned on Jasper's face. "I'll talk to her again."

I shook my head. "Talk to Dad,_ then_ talk to Alice," I advised him.

"Why?"

"Because she'll just talk you around again. You need to get to the bottom of it. Talk to Dad," I encouraged again.

"Thanks, bro."

"You're welcome, and I should be thanking you."

"You just did."

…

When we got back to camp, the rest of the family was sitting at the makeshift dining table eating lunch. It was the perfect opportunity to apologize for my recent moodiness and I decided to dive right in. I took my place beside Bella and squeezed her hand. She looked startled at my gesture for a moment, before smiling in relief.

"Um everyone, could I say something to you all, please?" I asked formally.

Mom smiled at me while Dad gave me his full attention. "What is it son?"

"Ahm, I want to apologize for my attitude this past week. I know I've been a moody, difficult prick, but I promise to get over myself. I have acknowledged my short-term limitations and I want to help out in other ways." I smirked at Jasper, "My wise, older brother pointed out that I'm not the center of the world and it won't fall to pieces if I'm not involved in absolutely everything that's going on." Of course, those weren't the exact words Jasper used, but the sentiment was there. Jasper smiled and nodded his head.

"Thank you son. I appreciate your apology," Dad acknowledged. I'd been particularly snarky with Dad, because I blamed him for my grounding. "I'm glad you've finally realized you need to take it easy for a while. My instructions for your recovery would have been the same had we been in Hawaii. You have a nasty break and it needs to heal properly. It won't while you insist on using it, or if you injure yourself again."

"I know, Dad. Thank you," I whispered sheepishly.

Mom showed her approval by placing my hot lunch before me, already cut into bite-sized pieces. She kissed the top of my head and patted my shoulder. I could see the sheen of tears in her eyes and I felt like a heel.

"I understand," she said to me quietly before taking her seat beside Dad.

I looked down at my plate piled high with roasted meat, root vegetables and greens from the garden, even if it was summer squash, which I hated! Mom's garden was finally bearing fruit. After my week of moodiness, I wasn't about to shit all over her achievement. I forked some of the dreaded squash into my mouth, prepared to chew and swallow with a smile on my face. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. It actually _had_ a taste, unlike the supermarket crap I'd always been served before. The smile I gifted my mom was genuine.

"Taste's good, doesn't it?" she said happily. I nodded and forked up another bite.

"It's about time you wised up, Eddie," riposted Emmett around a mouthful of iguana-chicken. "I thought I was gonna have to break your other arm if you'd kept that shit up. I mean, you nearly had the women-folk crying for fucks sake."

"Emmett!"

"Huh?"

"Language!" Mom reminded him with a narrow-eyed gaze. "And don't speak while you're chewing. None of us want to see your masticated food. It's disgusting," she said with a slight shudder.

"Oh. Oh yeah, sorry Mom."

"Welcome back," whisper Bella from beside me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered back.

"It's okay."

"Can we talk later?"

She nodded.

Alice smiled wanly at me, then went right back to playing silently with her food. Meanwhile, Rosalie chased down each mouthful of her own lunch with a gulp of water, followed by a little burp. Her face had a slight green tinge to it.

I cocked my head at her and raised a questioning brow at Emmett.

"Morning sickness," he mumbled. "It's comin' and goin' at all times of the day and night now. She's concentrating on eating so she won't throw up. Dad's worried she's losin' too much weight."

"Does that work?" I asked skeptically.

"Seems to," he said as he rubbed Rosalie's back between her shoulder blades when she looked like she was going to heave. "As long as nothin' distracts her while she's eating and drinking."

"Oh." I turned my attention back to my own meal, but not before I noticed Dad watching Jasper quietly trying to tempt Alice into eating something. He narrowed his eyes at her assessingly and drummed his fingers on the table. If Jasper didn't say something to Dad soon, then Dad would beat him to it.

Alice and Rosalie left the table as soon as they finished eating. Rosalie paced around the camp, walking off the nausea roiling in her stomach. Alice disappeared into the sleeping hut with barely a word to anyone.

"Um, Mom, Bella, I want to offer you my services while I'm healing," I said sheepishly. They'd offered in the past week and I'd shot them down. "I may not be able to work on the house, but I can do other things," I explained.

"Yes you can," Mom agreed. "I need some help in the garden. You only need one hand for that, and you can help me with the cooking. The laundry's piling up as well."

I scowled.

Mom snickered.

"You can help me as well, Edward," offered Bella. "If you help me collect the things I need, I can finish my projects sooner."

"I'd love to," I agreed. I wanted to kiss her, but I was worried she'd reject my advances after I ignored her and pushed her away all week. I needn't have worried, because Bella leaned toward me and dropped a quick chaste kiss on my mouth. Then she winked at me.

I grinned like an idiot. I was one lucky bastard. Any other woman would have told me to take a hike, or at the very least made me work to win back her good opinion. I was about to ask Bella about the project she was working on when Dad and Jasper walk off to the medical tent for a chat. Mom watched them go as well, then she stared at the sleeping hut where Alice was ensconced.

I could hear Alice quietly weeping. Mom seemed to struggle with herself about whether to interfere by going to Alice, or interfere by following Dad and Jasper. Things had been a bit cool between Alice and Mom after she dragged Alice from the lava tube by the ear and gave her a verbal throttling. Mom eventually sighed and did neither, choosing instead to clear the table and begin the washing up.

Bella went to get up from the table. "What's this project you're working on?" I asked, staying Bella with a hand on her arm.

Bella looked around shiftily, eyeing Emmett who was chowing down on the rest of the iguana-chicken and totally ignoring us. I was amused and intrigued. What was the big secret?

Bella leaned in close to whisper, "I'm collecting the ingredients I need to make soap and candles."

My face lit up. "_Really_? You can do that?" I exclaimed excitedly.

"Shhssh!" she hushed me quickly. "It's a surprise, okay? I'm making each person their own personal soap bars blended with fragrances that suit their personalities. Except, it won't be a surprise for you anymore," she said dejectedly.

"Ah, love, don't worry about me. I'd love to help you. When can we start?"

She laughed. "As soon as we've helped your Mom dry the lunch dishes, alright? I'll collect a basket and we can go for a walk to collect some of what we'll need. We also need to set up a laboratory away from camp, so the others don't know what we're doing."

"A laboratory?" I laughed.

"Well, it's a covered cooking and craft area, but laboratory sounded better," she said with a pout.

"There's cooking involved?"

"Yeah. We need to 'cook' the ingredients to make soap," she explained, using quote marks in the air. "Same goes for the candles. I also want to extract some oil to use in lamps as well."

"Extract oil from what, and how would we do that?" I said nonplussed.

"The candle-nuts extrude a high quantity of oil, which can be burned as a light source," she explained. "Jasper made me an oil press with a turning arm."

"Those brown nut things you've been collecting bushels of for weeks?"

"Yep."

"Um, okay," I intoned with a hint of disbelief that she'd be able to extract oil from a tropical nut-fruit.

She grinned at me and patted me on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Edward. I know what I'm doing. Oh, and plan to spend most of each day at the lab. The cooking process takes quite a while so we'll have plenty of time to spare … for other things," she implied suggestively.

I was gaping at her like a fish as she stood up to help Mom dry the dishes. They were nearly finished by the time I'd stopped fantasizing about what exactly we could do to pass the time while her soap and candles cooked.

I couldn't wait to get started. Who knew a craft project could get me so excited!

…

A/N: What do you think is wrong with Alice? It's a common problem amongst both sexes and affects people of all ages and demographics. It's a condition that I suffer from (mildly) as does a good friend of mine (not so mildly). Alice's condition isn't a new phenomena to her – that's part of the problem and she hasn't exactly been forthcoming with her husband about it, even before they were shipwrecked.

This chapter is kind of a bridge to the building of Bella and Edward's relationship. I wanted to give them a way to spend some time alone together in the next couple of chapters, but considering they are on a deserted island, it wouldn't be realistic to have them wandering off for a bit of nookie whenever they feel like it when their survival is at stake and there's work to be done. I think I've come up with a way they can do both.

MO – modus operandi: method of operating or functioning; a person's manner.

Green summer squash – known as courgette in the UK and Europe, or zucchini in the Southern hemisphere.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

AN: Pretty much one long lemon. I hope you enjoy it.

…

Chapter 18 – Love shack

"Let's go, Edward!"

"Now?" I asked hopefully as I slung another one of Emmett's enormous t-shirts over the clothes line. I used my right hand to pull the sides of the garment out so it was more or less identifiable as a piece of clothing, and rammed a clothes peg on it to hold it in place.

"Yep!" Bella stood in front of me with a grin on her face and a covered basket hooked over her arm. "Let me help you finish up, so we can go," she offered as she put her basket down on the ground.

I grinned, more than grateful for the assistance. I hated laundry and all I really wanted was to spend the afternoon with my Bella away from the rest of the family. "How about I sling while you stretch and peg?"

"Sling away," she laughed as she bent over to collect a handful of pegs from the bag hanging off the side of the laundry basket. The shining sun glinted off her hair, highlighting the chocolate strands that shone with luster and life. The girls had been treating their hair with some natural conditioners Bella cooked up, using of all things, mashed up fruit mixed with oil she'd pressed from those brown nuts she'd been collecting.

I reached out and curled a chocolate lock from her long ponytail around my fingers. It felt soft and silky as I caressed it between my fingers. I lifted the strands to my face and breathed in her intoxicating scent. She smelled like a mango daiquiri, but without the boozy undertones. I closed my eyes so I could surround myself in the fragrance. I wondered what her hair would feel like spread across my chest, tickling my skin as she kissed her way down my happy trail to my engorged and waiting …

"Edward!"

I shook my head as the fantasy came to a screeching halt. "Huh?" I felt dazed.

"What are you doing, Edward? I've called your name three times."

I flushed. "Um, smelling you." I confessed sheepishly.

She smirked. "Yes I know. What I want to know, is why?" she asked softly as she stepped alluringly closer. She dropped the pegs to stroke an index finger from my throat over my breastbone to my navel where she lingered, drawing featherlight circles around the indentation. My gut clenched and I felt my breath hitch in my throat. Bella took hold of my hand and pulled me with her as she stepped behind the sheets flapping in the warm breeze, effectively hiding us from prying eyes.

I gulped.

"You know why," I told her hoarsely. My dick was at full attention and uncomfortably snug behind the zipper of my shorts. Between her delicious smell, my hair fantasy and Bella's tactile exploration, I was more than ready for a bit of lovin' in the sand.

"Yes, but I want you to say it," she breathed.

Her fingers were now dancing their way across my belly. Back and forth, back and forth. I couldn't breath deeply even though my nostrils were flaring rapidly. I felt my dick twitch in response to the feel of her hand so very close to the promised land. The tip leaked pre-cum, trickling warmly over the engorged head.

_Oh shit, I think it left a wet patch on the front of my shorts. Fuck!_

Bella glanced down, saw the evidence of my desire for her and inhaled deeply as though she could smell it. She smiled flirtatiously and bit her lip, nibbling daintily until her lip bloomed with warm rich blood. I growled deep in my chest and stepped closer to her, bending down to blow against her shell-like ear. I wanted to kiss her, but I was afraid if I did, I'd throw her down onto the ground and have my way with her under the waving sheets.

Bella visibly shuddered in reaction to my warm breath. A feeling of elation swept through me that I wasn't the only one affected by our foreplay. I smirked against her ear before taking the plump lobe between my teeth and nibbling delicately until she moaned.

"Ohhhh!"

My smirk widened as my arm reached around her waist so I could hold her against me while I partook of her delicious tasting skin. My nose was buried in the hair behind her ear saturating my senses with her unique fragrance. My hips snuggled against her own, and she ground her mound against me looking for friction, which I was more than willing to provide.

_Oh yes, more than willing. _

A millisecond had barely passed before that fleeting thought became a reality as I stroked my hand down her back, locking my forearm across her hips to bring her into closer contact with my raging hard-on. My teeth released her pink lobe and she shuddered again, mourning the loss of my mouth.

"So you want me to say it?" I breathed into her ear.

"Say what?" she asked dazedly.

"Hmmm, say why I was smelling you," I reminded.

"Oh! I forgot," she confessed, blushing prettily. She slipped her arms around my waist and pouted up at me. "You made me forget what we were talking about," she scolded playfully.

"Uh huh." I smirked triumphantly.

"You look quite pleased with yourself."

"Yep."

"Well, are you going to say it?" she demanded petulantly.

"I _want_ you," I said seductively as I ran my tongue slowly up the side of her neck until I'd sucked her lobe back into my mouth. Her knees sagged and she would have fallen if not for my arm across the back of her hips.

"Oh god!" she moaned. "I want you too!"

I wanted to kiss her. _Oh fuck, did I _want_ to kiss her. To hell with it, I'm gonna kiss her!_ I pulled her up against with me with my good arm and bent my mouth to hers. I was a hairsbreadth from tasting her mouth when I heard the sound of crunching footsteps coming closer. I had only seconds to step slightly away from Bella before Mom swept aside the flapping sheets to confront us.

"Okay you two, break it up and take it elsewhere," she ordered, humor saturating her voice. "I'll finish hanging up the washing otherwise it'll never dry. You've got other places to be and better things to do," she said tongue-in-cheek. She obviously _knew_ what we'd been doing, or at the very least, she strongly suspected.

Bella blushed fire engine red and I felt the heat of my own embarrassment stain my cheeks. I shuffled behind Bella until my erection could subside. My mother was becoming a real cock blocker. First she interrupted us in the shower last week, and now our little tryst amongst the sheets. The bedrooms in this house we were building wouldn't be finished soon enough for me! The lack of privacy was stifling – for all of us.

"Jesus, Mom!"

"Don't curse," she reprimanded.

I scowled and huffed. "Come on, Bella. Let's go." Clasping hold of her hand, I swept aside the sheets with my broken arm.

_Fuuuuuuccckkk! Jesus Christ almighty, that fucking hurt. How can woven cotton hurt so _fucking_ much?_

I clenched my teeth to ride out the pain as I strode away, trailing Bella behind me.

"Wait! Wait, Edward, I need my basket!" Bella yelled as she dug her heels into the dirt to slow me down. I huffed, but dropped her hand so I could stomp back to get it. Mom was holding it out to me with a grin splitting her face from ear to ear.

"I'll see you at dinner time dear," she snickered as I grabbed the basket. "Enjoy your afternoon, Edward, and have your father check your arm tonight."

"You saw that, huh?"

"Yep."

"And you're not going to insist I go see him now?" My tone was awash with disbelief.

"Nope. You and Bella need some time alone to nurture your fledgling relationship. For goodness sake, Edward, if you don't get a move on the tortoise is gonna pass you. Now, go away and _relate_ so you can cross the blasted finish line," she commanded.

My mouth fell open in astonishment. Did my mother just order me to deflower my girlfriend? She winked at me. She did! My mom is so cool! I laughed and gave her a one armed hug. "I love you, Mom."

"I know, son, I love you too. Now go." She gave me a little shove in the direction of Bella, then turned around to peg up the rest of the washing.

…

"So what's in the basket?" I asked as we walked along the trail to the temple where Bella had set up a craft area with Jasper's help. Bella had taken me there yesterday afternoon after we'd spent a few hours foraging for herbs, berries and flowers.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased.

I cocked a brow and narrowed my eyes at her dangerously. "Show me," I demanded as I stopped on the path. I reached for the dish-towel covering the contents, but she swept the basket away from me.

"Nuh uh, you'll just have to wait and see," she told me as she walked on.

"You're such a tease," I pouted. I didn't like being thwarted, even over something as insignificant as what was in her basket.

She spun around and smiled flirtatiously at me. "Maybe, but not today!" she sang, then took off down the path, lightly running the thirty yards remaining to the craft shack. I grinned and jogged after her, eager to pick up where we left off earlier.

The soap can wait!

Bella was laying out a blanket inside a three-side palm frond shack when I reached her. She told me yesterday that she and Jasper had constructed it one afternoon earlier in the week. She'd tried to confide in me and enlist my help, but I was acting like a douche and wasn't very receptive to any of Bella's suggestions. In fact, I was so immersed in my personal pity party, I can't even recall her asking me. She assures me she did though. I immediately felt guilty and apologized for treating her like crap all week. Bella brushed it off, but told me next time she might not be so understanding or quick to forgive.

I kissed her sweetly and promised not to do it again. She kissed me back and told me not to make promises I might not be able to keep.

"_I'd rather you talk to me Edward. Please don't push me away and block me out. We're supposed to be a couple, not engaged in some casual vacation romance, or … or some girl-in-every-port, shore leave arrangement." _

Tears had glinted in her gorgeous chocolate brown eyes and her mouth had quivered with emotion.

I'd been horrified.

"_No! No, Bella, you're _not _casual! We're _not_ casual. I'm sorry, okay? Please! You _have_ to believe __me. I never meant to push you away – well I did _(her eyes widened and I hastened to reassure her)_ but _not _for the reasons you think! I swear. I've just never been in a permanent relationship before. Ahm, most of my past … dalliances were casual, yes, but _not_ you. I've never felt about any other woman, the way I feel about you. Please _believe_ me! Please be patient with me, Manulani. I need you to teach me," I'd implored her as I pulled her in for a one armed hug._

She'd hugged me back and promised we'd learn how to be partners together. After her quiet acceptance of useless Newton's selfish idea of a relationship, I figured she was only marginally less clueless than me when it came to relating to one's life partner. Except, she knew enough to know that communication is key. I was such a douche!

My reverie is interrupted when Bella hooks her finger and beckons me over.

"Oh, Lieutenant," she coos.

My eyes flash to her face. She is nibbling on her bottom lip and wiggling out of her shirt, exposing the red bikini top she wore underneath. The tiny triangles of fabric barely cover her small but plump breasts leaving her chest and midriff quite bare to the hem of her tiny shorts.

I suddenly find it difficult to breath and my dick twitches back to life as I stand rooted to the spot.

She strokes her fingers slowly through the V of her cleavage, down one side and up the other, over and over and over until she slips a fingertip beneath the fabric. I watch entranced as her nipples pebble beneath the lycra fabric in response to her own delicate touch. My tongue metaphorically hits the ground as I pant like a horny dog after a bitch in heat.

_Fuck, that was hot!_

I am mesmerized by what she is doing to her boobs with her own fingers, following with my eyes as she trails the slender digits down her stomach, fingering her navel before caressing their way to her right hip. She cocks her elbow from her hip enquiringly for a second, before sliding her fingers inside her shorts leaving only her thumb exposed. She strokes her soft belly invitingly.

"Are you … coming?" she asks me suggestively.

My dick is instantly hard inside my shorts as I stalk toward her with purpose. She gasps and looks momentarily startled by my reaction to her seduction. I pin her to me with an arm around her waist so she can _feel_ what her little exhibition did to me.

"Not yet," I growled, "but I will be."

Her luscious mouth stretches into a brief, but triumphant smirk before my own crashes onto hers. I briefly suckle her plump, bottom lip before plunging my tongue into her mouth. It duels with hers in a dance evocative of the one my dick hopes to lead her pussy in, sooner rather than later.

I tear my mouth from hers to nuzzle her cleavage, pulling the tiny triangles of cloth to the side with my teeth until her nipples pop into view.

"Oh, god, Edward, I want you so much," she moans as her hands lock onto the back of my head.

"Oh, baby, you have no idea," I tell her as I lick delicately at her exposed nipples making them harden into pale pink pebbles. She has beautiful breasts – I could look at them forever.

"Hmm, Edward, please suck them … please," she appeals to me.

How am I to resist such an emotive plea?

I'm not.

I didn't.

"Whatever you want, baby," I promise, as I close my lips around a nipple and gently bite down.

"Ohhh," she moans. "Oh, yes!"

"You like that, baby?" I husk.

"Yes! Yes, Edward, you know I do. More!" she demands.

"Whatever you say," I tell her, opening my mouth wider so I can take all of her aureola and some of her creamy breast into my mouth. I suck hard, stroking her nipple with my tongue until it is impossibly elongated into the shape of a .22 bullet. Bella's hands bury themselves in my hair holding me tightly against her as though I might try to get away.

"Aahhh," she moans.

I let go with a pop to move to her other breast, bringing my right hand up to pinch and roll the aroused bud while I tutor her other nipple into the same state of submission. I look into her face, which is flushed with desire.

For me. All for me!

Her lips are parted and her eyes are half closed as she gives herself over to the pleasure I'm giving her. I feel cockily proud of myself that I can do that to her … for her. I know I am a good lover – I've been assured of that many times in the past, but it never mattered to me before that I have the skill to make sex as pleasurable for the woman as it was for me. But that was before Bella. Now it matters. A lot.

Slipping my fingers from Bella's tight nipple, I trail my hand around her back to pull the strings of the lycra top, letting it fall unheeded to the blanket on the ground. Releasing her other nipple from my mouth, I am pleased to see it resembles its twin. I now have two .22 bullets buried in the hair of my chest, poking and prodding against me. My mouth returns to her lips, kissing her deeply until she moans. Clasping my arm around her waist, I encourage her to lower with me to the ground until we are on our knees facing each other, mouth to mouth, chest to breast, stomach to belly, sex to sex.

We are on fire for each other, rubbing against each others body until I think I might combust from the scorching heat we are generating. Almost as though we are telepathic, our hands move to each others shorts. We fumble to release buttons and slide the zippers down. I am commando, but Bella is wearing tiny lycra panties that match the red bikini top.

I am entranced by the sight of the red lycra stretching between her legs and covering her petite mound. The fabric is darker where her moisture has dampened the lycra. The bottoms are conveniently tied at her hips in tiny bows. I lick my lips and tug on one of the bows until the fabric falls away to one side exposing her to my view.

She is bare.

Completely fucking bare, and I want to bring my hands together in a little prayer of thanks. I don't do it, but Bella smirks and cocks a brow at me like she knows what I am thinking anyway. I smirk back at her as the backs of my fingers graze the soft skin of her mons. She moans and jerks her hips forward looking for more. I give it to her, slipping a finger between her folds to gather her dew.

She is so very wet, and it's all for me!

"Ahhh, oh god, Edward. So good. Feels so fucking good," she tells me as one of her hands reaches down to grasp my sensitive dick. She palms it and tries to clasp me entirely with her fingers, but my girth is too big for her small hand. She strokes me firmly with her fist, twisting her hand as she travels up and down my shaft.

Her fingers slide over the swollen head and she probes my leaking slit with her thumb collecting the pre-cum that is once again running down the sides of my dick. My hips jerk forward asking for more. She gives it to me, massaging the ridge that circles my dick below the head with her thumb and two fingers.

"Fuck," I groan.

"Oh yes, I certainly hope so," said Bella.

I bark out a high-pitched laugh.

"Lie down," she commands and I do, sitting back on my heels so I can roll to my side and then onto my back. I take Bella with me, tugging the string on the other side of her bikini bottoms and pulling them away. I fling them aside and gaze at her glistening sex as though her mound is the promised land.

I really think that it is.

Bella kicks off the shorts that have tangled around her ankles and reaches for my own, pulling them down my legs and leaving us both gloriously naked. She flings them aside and they land in the general vicinity of her own bikini bottoms, forgotten. She straddles my legs and returns both hands to my dick, which is saluting Bella like she is my commanding officer and I am her enlisted man.

She takes hold of me again, running her thumb along the ridge that runs the underside of my penis in a massaging motion, and I swoon. I swear if I wasn't flat on my back, I would have fallen over already.

I groan and pant. "So fucking good. So good!" I close my eyes for a second, just savoring the tactile sensation when another sensation, a hot, humid sensation, a licking, sucking, tugging sensation overtakes the first one, and my eyes flash open. Bella peeks up at me with sparkling eyes as her head bobs up and down along my shaft, and my eyes roll back into my head. I know I am too long to go all the way in, but Bella is covering as much territory as possible, flattening her tongue to massage the head and collecting my pre-cum from the sensitive slit. She uses my fluid as lubricant as she licks my dick with the flat of her tongue like she's eating an ice-cream cone.

The sensation of her relentless mouth coupled with the imagery I've conjured in my mind are enough to send me over the edge into sublime oblivion.

"Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck! Shit! Bella, I'm gonna come. Stop baby, I want you with me," I plead with her. I reach down my right hand and tug on her shoulder until she releases me with a loud pop and a final lick across the tip. I pull her up so her hips are poised over my own and my fingers slip into her folds. I stroke upward from her entrance, fluttering over her delicate inner lips until I find the hidden pearl I'm searching for. I stroke it a few times and she shudders above me. I feel her hot juices drip onto my dick as her hands dig into the skin of my stomach where she is supporting herself.

"You're gonna have to help me baby," I tell her as I pull my knees up and plant my feet on the ground. Her rump is resting against my thighs. "My arm ..."

"Hmmm, yes, I know. Now, Edward?"

"Yes, Bella, now! Guide me in baby," I command her. I carefully rest my broken arm on the ground away from our bodies and hold onto her undulating hip with my right hand as she grasps my dick and guides me to her entrance. The head nestles in the puddle of hot moisture pooling in the hollow where her entrance hides. I lift my hips and slide just the tip inside her while she pushes down. She stills for a second and her mouth drops open into a startled O.

I worry that I have hurt her, but she licks her lips and gives her hips a little twist and push until I slide inside her a bit further. The walls of her sheath pulse around me as I grit my teeth to stop myself from ramming my dick up inside her like a rocket. I am not small in either length or girth and I don't want to hurt her.

"Okay, Bella?" I husk.

She is panting and palming her own breast. "Oh yes. I want more, Edward. Give it to me!" she says and before I can respond, she is sliding herself all the way down until I am sheathed to the hilt inside her.

If I died now, I'd die a happy man. A very happy man indeed.

Leaning forward, Bella rests one hand against my shoulder to brace herself and begins to move. I help to guide her with my hand at her hip until we find our rhythm, thrusting upward to meet her downward twisting strokes alternated with rocking motions. A sheen of perspiration coats her skin, which is flushed pink with the flow of blood racing beneath the surface of her pale and delicate skin. I watch her, totally beguiled by the beautiful woman above me.

The walls of her pussy flutter around me as she begins to milk my dick, and I see the muscles of her belly contract and release as her orgasm builds. I clench my teeth to hold back my own until I am positive she will climax before me. I decide to help her along because I don't think I can hold out much longer, when she gets there before me.

Her hand leaves her breast and falls between her legs. She slides two fingers into her soaking folds and begins to stroke her sensitive nerve bundle with rapid strokes. I am momentarily stunned at how hot the sight of her flicking her own clit is, and my rhythm breaks for a second. I recover quickly, increasing the pace and power of my thrusts as I reach with my thumb toward her delta. The pad of my thumb settles over her engorged inner lips nestled below the clit she is thrashing. The entire scene is so erotic that I feel my balls tighten as I prepare to shoot my load into her tight sheath.

"Come on baby, come on," I grunt.

"Agh, agh, agh," she moans loudly. "Oh God! Oh Jesus! Oh Christ all mighty!" she yells as her thighs begin to quiver and her pussy clenches hard around me. "Edward, I'm cumming," she screams as she convulses on top of me and collapses forward onto my chest.

My hand hand slides away from her pussy and I clamp my forearm across her hips grinding her down against me. I feel the creamy fluid of her release flow warmly over my dick and then I am cumming, shooting string after string of my seed deep inside her as my back bows off the blanket. I vaguely feel a twinge in my broken arm as it twitches with the force of my climax, but I ignore it.

"Bella!" I roar. The sound of my release is so loud, it scares the birds out of the trees and they fly off, screeching in disapproval. I hear Bella chuckle into my chest. Her laughter causes her torso to shake and she moans as her hips jiggle where we are still connected. I slip out of her reluctantly and she rolls to the side, snuggling into my chest. She folds her upper most leg over my hips as I bring my arm around her. I stroke her back gently as we cool down and our heart rates slow.

"That _was_ incredible," Bella says as she presses kisses to my chest and shoulder.

"Yes it was," I agree. My left arm feels heavy and the fingers of my hand ache. The force of my orgasm caused my entire body to spasm including the muscles in my healing forearm. I drag it over and fold it over my stomach so the limb is supported, wriggling my fingers experimentally. They are stiff, but I can move them, so I am confident there is no lasting damage. Bella notices and reaches over to massage the muscle above my elbow joint making me groan with pleasure of a non-sexual variety.

"Is your arm okay?"

"Yeah, the muscles spasmed. It'll be okay. Dad's gonna check it out later tonight anyway."

"You sure," she asks with concern, looking up at me.

I kiss the top her head. "Yes, baby. I'm fine."

"Good," and she snuggles into me again.

Her eyes close and she doses off. I let her sleep as I look around the three-sided structure – our love shack. Immediately the words and tune from the B52's song of the same name starts playing in my mind.

I look with interest at the items Bella has collected. She has an oil press, which Jasper made for her as well as a clam shell and long piece of rounded stone to use as a pestle & mortar. There is a fire pit to one side with a tripod from which to hang a pot and a makeshift table made from bamboo poles is covered in woven mats. Bella's basket rests on the ground under the table and I can see now that it is full of rough hewn cooking implements, jars of cloudy, grayish liquid, which I think is probably lye, as well as a rectangular cake pan.

"When did she have time to make lye?" I mumble.

"This week," she replies sleepily, and I realize she is awake.

"I hope you were careful, Bella?" I tell her with a hint of disapproval in my tone. Lye is not only poisonous but is extremely alkali. It's what gives soap it's cleaning power.

She frowns and sits up reaching for her shirt to cover her nakedness. I watch her talented fingers as they slide the buttons through the holes.

"Yes, I was _careful,_ Edward," she huffs at me. "I've been making my own lye with my Grandmother for years. I know what I'm doing." She moves to stand up and I grab hold of her hand.

"I know you do, Bella, but it doesn't stop me from worrying. I studied advanced chemistry, Bella. I know what it can do and I don't want you to get hurt."

Her expression softens and she leans down to kiss me appreciatively for my concern. I try to deepen the caress, but she pulls back and leaps to her feet, offering her hand to help me up.

"So," she says, as she hands me my shorts and slides her own up her slender legs, "are you ready to make some soap?"

I grin and reach for her again sliding my hand between her legs. She pushes me away with a swat of her hand at my chest.

"Not _that_ kind of soap, Edward," she chides with a rueful smile of regret.

I pout, but follow her obediently to the craft table where she begins to assemble the ingredients and utensils we will need.

As I watch her and listen to her explain the method of soap making, I feel my heart hitch in my chest . I gasp inaudibly and I know in that moment that I am falling deeply in love with this woman. My heart soars as she looks at me with a glow in her face that I am certain is the feeling returned.

…

A/N: I hope you liked Edward and Bella's lemon.

Photographs for this chapter will be on my blog at jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com, but not until later today.

A peg aka clothes peg is also known as a clothespin. We tend to use 'peg' in Australia. I'm not sure what the common term is in America.

A dish-towel (American) is a called a tea-towel (English) in the UK, New Zealand and Australia.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: We find out a bit more about Bella's history in this chapter. The way in which I've written Bella's background _is_ how I imagined it when I began this story. I didn't reveal her complete history earlier because it wasn't relevant to the storyline at the time. It's not actually relevant now, but finding out fits within the scope of Edward and Bella getting to know each other. It will become more relevant, indirectly in an upcoming storyline, so stay tuned.

…

Chapter 19 – Soap and Dope

"How's the oil coming?" Bella inquired as she donned a pair of rubber gloves stolen from the kitchen supplies.

I felt the side of the pot the coconut oil was heating in with my hand. Bella said it needed to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit before we could add the lye to make soap.

I shrugged. "It feels warmish."

"Hold this thermometer against the pot," she instructed handing it to me. "It's not the most accurate way of testing the temperature, but it's the only cooking thermometer we've got, and I don't want to ruin it for food use by dipping it into the oil or the lye," she explained. I nodded in understanding. Using it in the noxious lye would render the device useless for anything but soap making. "Let the temperature get two or three points above 100 degrees so it doesn't cool too much while we wait for the lye to heat."

I did as Bella instructed and held it against the side of the pot for about 20 seconds while she twisted the screw-lid off the jar of cloudy lye water she'd already made. She very carefully poured the contents into a battered pot and set it to one side where we wouldn't knock it over.

Next, Bella prepared the cake pan she'd brought with her and opened two tiny bottles of aromatic oil she'd already infused with herbs and flowers. I tested the temperature of the pot again, waiting impatiently for the contents to reach the required temperature.

"Okay, the outside of the pot has reached 102 degrees," I told her.

"Good," she said slipping an oven mitt onto her hand. Bella moved in front of me and lifted the pot of oil off the tripod and replaced it with the lye pot.

"Okay," she said putting the oil pot to one side and throwing down her discarded oven mitt. "Once that's heated, we can combine it with the warm oil, stir it like crazy until we reach 'trace', and hopefully," she grinned and crossed the fingers of both hands, "we'll have soap. Well, soap in about a month once it's cured," she clarified.

"Hmm, just in time for Thanksgiving," I murmured as I sidled up close behind her. I wrapped my arm around her waist and nuzzled her exposed neck. I cannot believe that only a week ago I was trying to drive her away.

_I was a fucking idiot. _

_Thank god for Jasper's words of wisdom._

_Thank god I was wrecked with Bella!_

"Hmmm, Edward," Bella moaned. She crooked her neck to the side giving me unfettered access to her swan-like throat. God, she smelled wonderful – a heady floral, fruit mix … and me. I could smell my own scent on her skin. I had marked her as mine. An earthy growl rumbled low in my chest. If I was a mountain lion, all of the other predator males sniffing around would be warned away from _my_ female.

Bella giggled. "Edward, did you just growl?"

My arm tightened around her waist. "I might have," I mumbled.

She giggled again as she turned around and pressed herself against me. Her arms curved around my neck, pulling me down to her. "That's so … um, manly," she whispered as she placed a soft kiss of appreciation on my mouth. "Will you do it again?" she asked shyly.

I growled again as I pulled her against me tightly and lowered my mouth to hers. She had the softest, plumpest, pinkest lips of any woman I'd ever kissed before. Our tongues slid against each other as we lost ourselves in the kiss. It was the acrid smell of overheating lye burning our noses that forced us apart.

"Shit! The lye," Bella gasped as she wrenched herself way and reached for the oven mitt to lift the pot from the tripod. "Can you get the oil pot, Edward, and bring it to the table?"

I did her bidding and stood beside her at the makeshift table. "Okay, what now?"

"Now we check the temperature of both pots and when they're roughly the same temperature, we mix the two together." Bella held the thermometer against each pot and nodded her head, satisfied that we had it right. She dribbled some of the fragrant oils into the warm coconut oil, then handed me a bamboo whisk.

"I'll pour the lye and you whisk, but not too fast, okay. We don't want splashes or air bubbles," she admonished.

"Yes ma'am," I said with a quick salute. She raised her eyebrows, then smirked and shook her head.

"Here goes," she warned as she lifted the lye pot and tipped it to slowly pour the liquid into the oil. "Start stirring," she ordered, "and don't stop 'til I tell you. This could take a while."

"What _exactly_ do you mean by, 'a while'?"

"A few hours maybe; an hour or so if we're lucky."

I stared at Bella, aghast. "A few hours!"

"Yep. We're working with liquid oils here, Edward, not solid animal fats, so reaching the point of 'trace' takes longer. But, it'll be worth it," she said encouragingly. "Think about it, babe. We'll have soap! It means fresh, clean skin, silky soft hair and _really_ clean clothes," she said excitedly.

I found myself lost in a daydream balloon fantasizing about soap suds as I listened to Bella's words. I dreamed about Bella and I in the shower while I soaped her from head to toe until she was as slippery as an eel. I imagined cupping her soft breasts as the suds clung to her nipples, and I imagined slipping my fingers between her legs to slide against her delicate lips.

"Edward!" screeched Bella. I was unceremoniously dragged from my daydream.

"Huh? What!"

"Keep stirring!" Bella bade me, waving her hand at the pot.

"Oh yeah, sorry." I wished my other hand was fully functioning, because I felt the need to adjust myself in my shorts. Bella added some of the kukui nut oil she'd pressed earlier into the soap mixture. "Why are you adding more oil?"

"I'm superfatting the soap, kukui nut oil is great for the skin. Okay, let me whisk for a while so you can give your arm a break," she said as she whipped the whisk out of my hand before I could object. I stood around pouting for the next five minutes feeling useless while Bella mixed the thickening grayish goop in the pot.

"Tell me more about your grandmother?" I asked Bella suddenly.

Her head whipped around to stare at me. "What?"

"Your grandmother, tell me more about her. I should know more about my girlfriend's closest family member, don't you think?"

"Oh, um ..." she trailed off. "Um, what do you want to know?" she asked me cautiously. I was intrigued. What was so secret about her grandmother?

"You said her name is A'ala and her name means of high rank or royal?"

"Yes," Bella confirmed while staring fixedly into the pot.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. Was she being deliberately obtuse? Hmmm. I tried again. "_Why_ in regards to your grandmother, does _her_ name mean high rank or royal?"

Bella used her free hand to fidget with her hair while she kept stirring the soap pot with more attention than it actually required. Ah hah! There _was_ something about the meaning of her grandmother's name that was special. She'd evaded talking about it when she first told my parents and me about her heritage, but I wasn't letting it go this time. No way!

"Bella?"

"Um … it's your turn to stir," she yelled as she yanked me by the hand over to the table. I found myself with the whisk in my hand before I realized what she was about. Bella agitatedly paced up and down the length of the small shack, wringing her hands. I stared at her incredulously. Why was she so agitated. Bella interrupted her pacing momentarily to wave her hand at me in a stirring motion.

"What …?"

"Just give me a minute, okay?" she said, interrupting me impatiently as she recommenced her pacing. I scowled, but did as she asked, stirring the custard like mixture. From Bella's earlier description of the saponification process, I thought we weren't actually that far from reaching 'trace'.

"Okay, here's the thing," she said suddenly, spinning to a stop. I stopped stirring and turned to face her eagerly. "Keep stirring or I won't tell you!" she threatened with her hands on her hips. I grabbed the whisk and beat the shit out of the soap mixture. She nodded, satisfied.

She gulped. "Okay, I don't normally tell people this, but in your case, I think you deserve to know. I mean we're _together_ now, so you should know important things about me … um, I mean my family."

I caught the inadvertent reference she'd made to herself, but then quickly corrected to her grandmother. I was _really_ intrigued now. "Alright, I'm listening," I reassured her softly.

Bella blew out a breath through pursed lips. "Okay, my grandmother's name means high rank or royal, because she kinda is." _Huh? _I think my mouth fell open a little bit in shock. My face must have reflected my momentary confusion, because she elaborated.

"My grandmother, A'ala," she began as she pulled herself upright proudly, "is the last hereditary princess of the Kingdom of Hawaii. She is descended from the legitimate royal heirs to the Hawaiian throne," she confessed as she chewed on her lip nervously, her pride waning slightly in the face of my startled visage.

I can say with absolute honesty that I wasn't expecting that! I thought she'd say she was once a beauty queen or something. I shook my head slowly, fighting off the vapor, which had descended over my brain.

"You … (I coughed) you're a _princess_?"

"Um no, not really. Um yeah, sort of. I mean, my grandmother is, and my dad's dead so I suppose I'm next in line, but really, Edward, I'm just a normal girl, okay? I'm not rich or anything, but I'm not poor either. I don't swan around – no pun intended – with a tiara on my head and a scepter in my hand or anything like that, and neither does my grandmother," she explained breathlessly. Her hands twisted nervously in front of her.

"Say something!" she demanded.

"I … wow!" I responded. I couldn't think of anything else to say. I was gobsmacked.

"Is that a good wow or bad wow?" she asked worriedly with an inquiring wave of her hands.

"No, it's good. Shit, of course it's good. I mean, it doesn't change who you are or how I feel about you. I just wasn't expecting you to tell me that you're a royal princess." A huge smile lit my face. "You've got blue blood, Bella. I always knew you were something extraordinary."

Bella blushed beet red. "No I'm not, Edward. I'm just me. Isabella Manulani Swan, a 26 year old librarian and part-time anthropology student whose Irish-American, party girl mother disappeared almost before I learned to say the word 'momma'. I'm _nothing_ special."

"Don't say that!" I yelled in exasperation. I abandoned the pot of soap to clasp her close in a hug. "_You_ are extraordinary," I insisted. "Look at all of the knowledge you have about living naturally, all learned at your royal grandmother's knee. We certainly wouldn't be making soap right now if it wasn't for you, because it's a certainty that none of the Cullen's know how to make it!"

I shook her lightly when she glanced at me skeptically. "You are a librarian. You're well educated and well read. You're studying anthropology so you can learn more about your heritage. You're studying medicine under Dad's tutelage, and you've adapted to life on a deserted island far better than any of my family have. You're a great cook, a genuinely nice person and a fabulous friend – Alice and Mom adore you that's for sure, and I lo…_like_ you. I _really, really _like you. A lot."

Bella was silently contemplative for a long minute, chewing delicately on her lip. I thought I saw her eyelids flicker when I segued my impulsive declaration of love into like. Now _I_ was silently contemplative with worry. Would she think I was a dick for not telling her I loved her? Did I love her? I thought I did. Was I ready to say it … out loud? Hmmm. Maybe not quite yet.

"So, you _really, really _like me, huh?" she whispered playfully. An engaging smile lit up her face.

"Yes my beautiful Princess Manulani, I do. I _like_ you so fucking much!"

My Bella's face glowed with joy. She let out a little squeal and threw herself against me, rocking me backwards on the balls of my feet. "I _really, really _like you too, Edward Cullen." I laughed joyously and laid a passionate kiss of promise – the promise of L words yet to come – against her mouth. I was just settling in for a long and luscious lip-locking session to celebrate our declaration of 'like', when Bella gasped and yanked herself away.

"Oh my god! The soap. Shit! Edward, quick, help me. We need to pour it into the mold before it begins to set up in the pot." Bella rushed me over to the table to pick up the whisk and begin stirring the gelatinous mass once again, breathing an audible sigh of relief that it wasn't ruined. I pulled the tin lined with lightly oiled banana leaves toward me as Bella picked up the pot – the saponification process had taken close to two hours to reach 'trace'. After pouring the thick soap mixture into the tin and scraping out the pot with a hand-made spoon, Bella smoothed the top and covered it with more banana leaves.

"It's done," she said with a happy sigh. "In three or four weeks, this first batch will be ready to use."

We hugged happily. I never once thought the acquisition of soap would ever be a reason for celebration. Many of the things we acquired, which we'd previously taken for granted, became cause for a celebration, not least of which was the 'like' of a good woman like Isabella Manulani Swan.

"Let's get the work area cleaned up, Edward. It'll be dark in an hour and we have to make a detour on the way home – I need to get something for Carlisle."

"Okay. What does Dad need?"

Bella scratched at her temple as her eyes skirted around the shack evasively. "Oh … ah … he needs a plant, and I want to stop for some tea ingredients."

"_Tea_?"

"Yeah, tea!"

We extinguished the coals in the fire pit and packed up Bella's basket with the cake pan of soap. Bella cleaned out the pots with hot water from a thermos she'd cleverly thought to bring along, and packed her cooking implements into a woven basket. I tucked the basket under the table and we took one final look around as we departed for the walk home. I asked Bella to tell me more about her grandmother.

"You want the CliffsNotes version, or her life story from birth?" she responded sarcastically.

"Oh, her life story, definitely." I smirked at her and waited patiently for her to begin. She rolled her eyes and hoisted the basket more securely into the crook of her elbow and fiddled with the contents – an obvious delaying tactic in response to my nosiness. I smiled, cocked a brow and nodded at her encouragingly, a clear indication that I wasn't going to be deterred or distracted. My patience paid off.

Bella huffed. "Fine, her life story, but just the highlights, okay?"

I grinned triumphantly.

She scowled.

"My grandmother was born in the spring of 1937, the eldest child of the hereditary prince, who by-the-way was only half Polynesian – the other half was French. Her Polynesian mother was from a blue-collar family. She was very beautiful; well educated, and was one of the first of the Polynesian lower classes to attend university – an amazing feat in the 1930's for a person who was not white and who was also a woman," Bella said with a wealth of pride.

Bella came to a stop beside a patch of small leafy shrubs and put her basket on the ground. She pulled a plastic beach spade and fork from its depths and started digging around a plant, loosening its roots. I guess this is the 'something' she promised to collect for Carlisle.

"Is that it?" I ask her impatiently. "She was born. You told me more about her parents than about your grandmother."

"No, that's not all. Geez, keep your shirt on," she snarked as the shook the sandy dirt from the roots of the plant and placed it into the basket. She immediately began digging around the roots of an identical plant. "My grandmother had a wonderful early childhood in Honolulu and her brother was born during the winter of 1940. The family spent most of the year in the capital on Oahu, and spent the hot summers at the ancestral family home on Maui. In December of 1941, the islanders were preparing for Christmas when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in the early hours of December 7th, but I'm sure you know that horrendous history?"

I nodded. Bella shook off another plant and dropped it into the basket before rising to her feet. We detoured into the jungle as Bella continued her tale.

"The family was not injured in the attack, but my great-grandfather ordered his wife and children to Maui for their own safety. My great-grandmother refused to leave her husbands side, so they sent the children with their nanny to Maui instead. That's where they stayed for the duration of the war and my grandmother and her brother did not see their parents until the war ended in 1945. My grandmother retained vague memories of her parents, but her brother didn't recognize them at all as he was only a baby when they were evacuated from Oahu."

"That must have been heart wrenching for your great-grandparents, not being recognized by their own children?" I mused sympathetically.

"Yes it was, but they rebuilt the parental bonds with their children, lavishing love and attention on them. My grandmother told me that their family was inseparable after the war, and they were never apart again for more than a few weeks at a time until the children reached adulthood."

"From the adversity and horror of war, emerged a family much stronger, wiser and closer than they might have been if they hadn't been forcibly separated," I commented.

"Yes," Bella agreed softly. "So after the war, the family settled back into life on Oahu. My grandmother and her brother attended a real school for the first time in their young lives. It was a tremendous culture shock, especially for my grandmother who at the age of 8, was unceremoniously enrolled into a class with 40 other children after being educated by her nanny for the past four years."

"I can imagine her horror," I said with a chuckle. "I'm sure her brother found it much easier to adapt to school being only five years old. He would have commenced his school career with his peers, whereas your grandmother would have been at a social disadvantage being three years behind."

"Exactly. Grandmother found it very difficult to settle and she didn't do very well in her classes at first, so her mother took her aside one day and gave her the, _'you are royal and must rise above your fears to triumph' _speech." Bella laughed lightly as she became lost in her memories. "My grandmother gave me that same speech when I went off to university absolutely terrified of living on my own in Honolulu for the first time."

"Did it work?"

"It did actually," Bella said with a big smile. She stopped by a large tree at least 30 feet high. It was thick with dark green foliage hanging off drooping branches. "This is a moringa tree," Bella explained. "I was surprised to find it here, because this particular species is usually endemic to Asia and Africa."

"What are you going to do with it?" I asked her curiously. I vaguely recognized the tree as one I'd seen in Hawaii in gardens and public parks.

"Pick the leaves. They make a great green vegetable and the dried leaves can be steeped as a hot tea. It has great anti-oxidants and it's a natural treatment for relieving cramps and nausea." Bella plucked a pair of kitchen scissors from her basket of treasures and began cutting leafy branches.

"Fantastic, Mom will be so pleased. She misses having a hot drink in the mornings."

"So do I. I'm actually hoping the tea will help Rosalie settle her morning sickness. It's gotta be rough throwing up every hour of the day and night."

"Yeah, she's looking a bit wan and green lately. And crabbier, definitely crabbier." I shuddered, feeling genuine sympathy for Emmett. Bella laughed at me. "I don't suppose you know where to find a coffee-bean tree do you?" I asked hopefully.

Bella snorted. "Nope, I think that would be asking a bit much. I miss coffee, though," she sighed sadly.

"Yeah, so do I." We stood silently mourning the loss of coffee in our lives. After a moment, Bella returned to cutting leaves from the tree until the basket was full, then began clipping green pods about 10 inches long. "What are those for?"

"A vegetable. We can shell them and use the seeds like peas, or slice these young pods and use them like green beans. Okay, I'm done. Let's go. It's nearly dark and I'm starving."

I took the basket from her and Bella moved to my left side wrapping her hand around my upper arm. "Continue your story," I demanded.

"You _are _curious aren't you?"

I shrugged unapologetically.

"Okay, where was I?"

"Hmmm, your grandmother had just started real school in 1945."

"Oh, right. Okay, so she pretty much had a normal but somewhat privileged childhood and early teenage years. When she was thirteen, she was sent to an exclusive school in Honolulu called Kamehameha – the Kapālama campus."

"I've heard of that school. You have to be of Hawaiian ancestry to get in, right?"

"Yes, that's right. I went to the Maui campus at Pukalani. So anyway, grandmother excelled in private school and graduated at 19 as class valedictorian. She went to university in Honolulu and majored in art history with a minor in anthropology." Bella had obviously inherited her grandmothers passion. "At the beginning of her second year at university she shocked her parents speechless for the very first time," Bella said conspiratorially.

I was intrigued. "Don't leave me hanging now, Bella, what did she do?"

Bella grinned at me playfully while she pantomimed a drum roll. "She _entered _a beauty pageant. It was a dare from her sorority sisters, and she won!"

I roared with laughter. I laughed so hard, I had to put the basket down before I dropped it. A beauty queen! Shit, I could pick really pick it.

"Why are you laughing?" Bella hissed.

"When you told me that your grandmother is a Hawaiian princess, I thought to myself at the time, it was the last thing I expected you to say. I thought you were going to tell me she was a beauty queen or something."

Bella huffed, not quite appeased by my explanation, but I could see a smile skirt around her mouth. "Yes, well, she is both. She _is_ Princess A'ala Leilani Kealoha and she _was_ Miss Hawaii 1957."

I hugged Bella close and chuckled with delight. "Oh, Bella, I think it's wonderful. I'd love to see a picture of your grandmother as Miss Hawaii 1957."

"You can. I've got one with me. She's not wearing her crown, but she is dressed in her swimsuit. Her father almost had an aneurysm when he saw her photograph plastered all over the front page of the Honolulu Star Bulletin the day after she won. She went on to participate in the Miss America pageant in 1958, but she didn't win. She told me once that she was grateful – she didn't like the notoriety that came with being a contestant in such a famous event."

I picked up the basket and offered my arm to Bella once again. We walked in companionable silence back to camp when I asked the question that had been on the tip of my tongue for the last ten minutes. "Bella, I have to ask." She shot me a glance of permission. "What was her talent, in the pageant, I mean?"

Bella coughed into her hand, "Hooller."

"What?"

"Hula. It was hula, okay! Her talent was the hula! Are you happy now?"

I grinned. "Do you have a photo of that as well?"

"Yes," she muttered grumpily, then slyly, "You want to know what else she did in 1957?"

I nodded.

"She went to an Elvis Presley concert in November when he visited Hawaii, _and_ she got to meet him as Miss Hawaii. They went to the Waikiki Sands nightclub with his entourage and a few of the pageant organizers as chaperones. The danced all night. He sang to her one of the songs from the movie 'Blue Hawaii' he was making, _and_ he kissed her goodnight outside the front door of the club. A photo of them kissing was front page news the next day - that was the second time she shocked her parents. Her father almost had another aneurysm and he tried to ground her until she was 21. Grandmother joined Elvis on a day-cruise the next day and they shared a picnic on the beach before he went back to the movie set."

I was speechless, but I might have blinked. "_Your_ grandmother _met_ Elvis Presley? _The_ Elvis Presley?" Bella nodded. "She danced with him; he sang to her and they kissed? She _kissed_ Elvis Presley?"

"Yeah."

Amazing. "Do me a favor?" She nodded. "Don't tell Mom, okay? She'll go mad with envy. She loves Elvis Presley. Dad said she cried for days when he died in 1977." Bella giggled, but nodded her head in promise.

"Um, Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Please don't tell the others, about my background I mean. I don't advertise it – it sometimes makes people act different toward me and around me. I'll tell them in my own time, okay?"

"Sure thing, sweetheart. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks."

…

When we walked back into camp a few minutes later, Bella went directly to the cooking area and unloaded her basket, placing the greens onto a woven matt and the soap pan into a smaller basket. She covered it with another tea-towel and hid it under the prep bench.

"Carlisle!" Bella called as Dad strode down the front steps of the house. Wait, front steps? We didn't have front steps when we left for the love shack earlier today.

"Hey hey, Emmett, you guys built the steps into the house. That's fantastic! Does that mean we can move in soon?" Emmett was hanging over the banister of the second floor verandah. We'd used the railings salvaged from Victory. They looked good. Nice and sturdy.

"Soon, bro, soon. There's a bit more work needed on the kitchen and the bathrooms, and we need two more bed frames for the mattresses, but after that we can move on in. I figure about another week ought to do it."

"Awesome!" I yelled and fist pumped the air.

"Yeah, so are you apparently," Emmett snickered. I heard Rosalie snorting from the work area where she was tinkering with the electronic media equipment salvaged from Victory's lounge.

_Huh?_

Jasper bounded out the front door and down the stairs. He said hello to Bella as she spoke to Dad and handed him the two leafy shrubs she'd dug up. Dad's face beamed with excitement as he drew Bella toward the medical tent. I wouldn't see Bella again until we sat down to dinner in two hours time.

Alice wandered over from the clothes line with a basket of folded up washing in her arms. She looked hot and bothered, but the misery reflected in her eyes these past three or four weeks was not as obvious today. Maybe things were looking up for her.

"Hey, Edward, how'd it go today?" asked Jasper. He stood in front of me, smirking, his fists shoved in his pants pocket while he rocked back and forth on his heels

"Perfect. Just perfect."

He clapped me on the shoulder. "Good, glad to hear it. And speaking of _hearing, _thought you might want to know that screams of orgasmic bliss apparently echo through the jungle, even during the daytime. Just saying."

Alice twittered as she showed me the universal OK sign with her hand. I on the other hand was once again, stunned stupid with silence.

Oh shit! I gulped.

What if Bella found out?

Oh shit!

I started sweating, I could feel it running down the side of my face. I swallowed roughly, looking anywhere but at my family. Normally, their teasing wouldn't bother me, but we were a small community and the Cullen's liked nothing better than a good gossip especially amongst themselves. I swear, if my brothers and their wives embarrassed Bella and fucked this up for me, I'd put a vacancy sign on their bedroom doors and invite the local wildlife!

"Where's Mom?" I squeaked desperately.

"Taking a shower," Alice informed me. "Sooo, you and Bella, huh?" she said with a little squeal. "Tell me, tell me, how did it go? It was good, right? It sounded good. Was it good?"

I flushed red. "Alice!" I hissed. "I am _not _discussing my sex life with you!"

"Why not?" she asked, genuinely perplexed.

"Because it's private, Alice. I don't ask you and Jasper about your sex life."

"You can if you want. Emmett does."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "That actually doesn't surprise me," I remarked before walking off.

Jasper found me a few minutes later. He'd followed me into the jungle where I was collecting firewood while hiding. He chuckled at my prudish embarrassment. I wasn't one for ribald talk about my lovers – never had been.

"Don't sweat it, Edward, we're just glad you've settled into a relationship with Bella. We love both of you, and you know we love to tease."

"Thanks, and I know!" I said as I filled his arms with the firewood I'd collected. I decided a change of topic was in order. "How's Alice, Jazz? She seems happier today."

He was silent for a long moment. I stopped collecting firewood to look at him. "Is something wrong, Jasper? Did you find out why Alice has been acting all weird?"

"Yeah, I did," he confirmed quietly. I waited for him to elaborate. He didn't.

"Is she okay?"

"She will be, I hope." Jasper tugged at his blond hair. "Um, Edward, you can't discuss what I'm about to tell you, okay? It's for Alice to divulge to the rest of the family if she wants to, but you helped open my eyes to the problem and I want to confide in you, okay?"

I nodded worriedly. What the hell was wrong with her? She wasn't sick was she? I led the way to a fallen log and sat down. Jasper dropped the firewood and sat beside me.

He blew out a deep breath. "Alice suffers from depression," he disclosed. "She has done for years. I didn't know and she never told me."

"You _didn't_ know," I asked, astounded. "How could you not know? You've been married to her for seven years. Didn't you notice her popping a pill every day?"

"No, yes, but I thought it was her birth control pill and she never implied any differently."

"Oh man, finding out must have rocked your world."

"You've no idea!" he stated, scrunching his hair with both hands this time. "We had a huge fight after Dad and I confronted her with our theory that she was depressed due to our current circumstances. We thought it was a recent development, so Dad offered her relaxation and meditation techniques to help her overcome the condition. Dad and I raved on for 30 minutes before she was forced to confess that she'd suffered from depression for more than 10 years. All this time, and I never had a clue. I thought I knew my wife, but I obviously didn't," he said sadly. "I thought we trusted each other, that we could tell each other anything. I was wrong, Edward," Jasper sobbed. Tears of grief and frustration released from each eye and trickled down his cheeks.

I folded my arm around Jasper's shoulders and squeezed, consoling him. Oh man, it looks like my theory of a chemical imbalance was spot on. I was on a roll this week. We sat quietly for a few minutes while Jasper regained his emotions.

"What's the recommended treatment?" I said at last.

"Well obviously, a controlled medication would be ideal, but there isn't a drug store with a stock of Zoloft for a thousand miles, so Dad and Bella have devised another treatment regime."

"Bella knows?"

Jasper nodded. "Yeah. Dad's training her in medicine and she knows a lot about natural remedies, so Alice gave Dad permission to tell Bella."

"What'd they come up with?"

"Kava or more precisely, kava tea."

"Kava? What's that?"

"It's a native shrub that's apparently been used by the Polynesian's for centuries as a ceremonial drink, but it's leaves and roots contain properties that can be used to successfully treat anxiety and depression. Dad asked Bella to collect some plants and tonight they're going to prepare a tea for Alice to drink. We're hoping that a daily dose or two will be enough to control her depression, or at least, minimize it."

"That's fantastic, Jasper. I have great faith in Bella's knowledge and abilities. If Bella says kava treats depression, then it does. You can depend on it!"

He nodded. "Yeah, that's what Dad's hoping for as well. You know he's really impressed with Bella, he said she's a royal gem to have around."

I grinned. "Oh, I _know_ she is!"

Jasper narrowed his eyes as he stared at me. "What _aren't_ you telling me?"

"Nothing important, Jazz. Let's go," I said as I stood up quickly in an effort to distract him. "Mom will be calling us for dinner soon, and I want to ask Rosalie how she's going with the repairs to the antenna and the media equipment." We picked up the fire wood and headed back to camp.

…

Mom and Bella laid out platters of grilled fish, hot fried chips and jungle salad for dinner. Emmett almost bit off his tongue when he spotted the large bowl of golden fried potato sticks with their dusting of sea salt. Mom's garden had delivered once again. I was almost as astounded and overjoyed as Emmett. Even Jasper and Carlisle were excited.

"Those are fries!" gasped Emmett with disbelief. He drooled over them as he inhaled deeply of their distinctive and memorable scent. "Tell me that bowl of fries is not a mirage. You wouldn't drag a starving man to the food of the gods and then take it away would you, Mom?" Emmett begged.

"For goodness sake, Emmett, you're not starving, and yes, they're real. Dig in, but leave some for the rest of us!" admonished Mom as Emmett attacked the golden stack with the tongs.

"How? Tell me how?" he begged as he shoveled thick fries into his mouth.

"I'd like to know that as well," voiced Dad as he served himself a pile of the fries and some fish.

Mom and Bella smirked. "Well, the first potato crop was fairly decent and Bella extracted some oil from coconuts and palm seeds," Mom said.

"We also boiled down a big pot of sea water until we had sea salt flakes," Bella added. "Put the three ingredients together, and we give you hot fries!" she said with a flourish of her hand.

"Well, I have to say, I am impressed," Dad told them as he dug into his own meal.

Everybody enjoyed the meal, especially the fries. Emmett collected up the crumbs from the empty bowl with the pads of his fingers, then licked them clean. Mom frowned at him in disapproval, but didn't reprimand him.

"That was delicious, Esme," congratulated Rosalie.

"Yes it was," seconded Carlisle, "and thank you Bella for making the oil and the salt. I wouldn't have known it was possible without modern equipment."

"You're welcome," Bella acknowledged shyly. "It's pretty easy to do really, we've all just become complacent and reliant upon mass produced food available at the local supermarket."

"Yes indeed. Self-sufficiency has died away in the western world," Jasper commented.

Bella fidget beside me. She kept looking at Rosalie and parting her lips as though she wanted to say something. "Um, Rosalie, I collected some leaves, which made into a tea might help lessen your morning sickness. Would you like me to make you some tomorrow morning?"

Rosalie appeared startled by the kind offer. Although she and Bella were more than passing acquaintances, they weren't exactly close buddies either, though that was slowly changing the longer we live together on Isabella Island.

"What leaf is that, Bella?" Dad asked with interest. The doctor in him wanted to make sure the leaf wouldn't be harmful if consumed, especially by Rosalie because of the pregnancy.

"It's moringa oleifera."

"Oh, I've heard of that," Mom interjected. "I watched a documentary about it last spring on the Discovery channel. It's known as the 'miracle tree'. Apparently, almost all of the tree can be used for either food, medicine or building," Mom explained.

"Yes," Bella confirmed slowly. "Edward and I stopped and picked some leaves from a tree I found last week. I also picked some pods. If I dry some of the leaves near the fire tonight, I can steep a pot of hot tea for us all to drink with breakfast. It's said that moringa tea imparts a feeling of wellbeing and helps to alleviate cramps and nausea amongst other things."

"Are you sure it's moringa oleifera, Bella?" Dad asked.

She nodded emphatically. "I'm positive."

"Then I for one would be grateful for a cup of hot tea with breakfast tomorrow morning. Thank you, Bella." Dad turned to Rosalie. "You can consume the tea as well if you like, Rosalie – it won't hurt you or the baby. I've also heard anecdotal evidence that it can relieve digestive ailments."

Rosalie said she was prepared to try anything to relieve the nausea and thanked Bella for her thoughtfulness. Emmett burped loudly and hiccoughed. We all laughed.

"I think you might benefit from it as well, Emmett," Dad commented dryly.

I turned my attention to Rosalie. "Rose, what news do you have about the antenna and the media equipment?" I hadn't had a chance to speak with her lately and I wanted to know if we had any chance at all of getting some news and watching a football game on Thanksgiving, that is if the antenna was able to pick up a signal out of Hawaii or possibly northern Australia.

Rose rubbed her hands together and grinned. "I'm glad you asked, Edward. I've repaired the marine antenna. The emergency beacons are a lost cause, but we might be able to salvage some electronics for parts. The TV works and so does the FM/AM stereo and the DVD player, but until we can erect the antenna at the highest position possible, I won't know if we can pick up any stations."

Jasper and Emmett whooped and I joined in. Even Mom and the girls laughed happily. The idea of TV and radio, even if it was only a small, pacific island station was wonderful news. I could almost feel the night-time monotony waning at just the idea of sitting in front of the tube.

"Where do you want to put it?" I asked Rosalie when the cheers died down. She looked high up into the fig tree in the middle of our clearing.

"Up there." We all followed her pointing arm.

Emmett's mouth went slack. The tree was huge, and very tall.

"How?" I asked.

"I want to mount the antenna onto the remaining mast and hoist it into the tree. We need to figure out a way to bind the mast to the top of the trunk so it doesn't fall out or move around in high winds. We have 75 feet of cable, so that should be enough for our needs. I'll thread it through some thin bamboo poles to protect it from the rain."

Well I couldn't do it, not with a broken arm. Emmett might be able to do it, but he was better at scaling scaffolding and roofs than trees. The girls certainly wouldn't be doing it, so that left Dad or Jasper and Dad wasn't overly fond of heights.

We all turned to stare hopefully at Jasper.

He stared back and cocked a brow. "I'll climb the tree tomorrow and check it out," he volunteered. Mom opened her mouth to voice an objection to the dangerous task, fearful of another accident, but Jasper cut her off with, "I'll tie the rescue harness and rope around my waist in case I fall." Mom's face expressed her worry, but she fell silent. Even she could not pass up the possibility of television and radio.

"Jasper, I've been wanting to ask you about the fishing village you found to the west," said Bella changing the subject completely.

"What about it?"

"I want to study it. I was wondering if you, Alice and Edward would like to go with me this Sunday? We can camp overnight and return Monday afternoon. That will give us an afternoon and a morning to explore the village, and we can collect some more fruit from the grove on the way home."

"That's a great idea, Bella," remarked Dad. "Why don't you go with them, Esme? It will give you a chance to see more of the island. I assume you'll take the overland route, Bella, and not the lava tube?"

"Yes, the western lava tube is inaccessible now in any case, where the breakdown occurred."

Alice bounced in her seat excitedly and even Mom looked interested. Jasper was simply happy to see Alice _happy _about something. I was more than willing to get away for a couple of days with Bella. I was already planning some time alone with her for a bit more one-on-one. We all agreed to the plan, providing the weather held, and we made tentative plans to leave after breakfast on Sunday morning. We invited Rosalie to join us as well, but she declined. She tired easily and the four hour trek each way would be hard on her.

"Right!" said Emmett as he rubbed his hands together. "Seeing as this seems to be a night for imparting good news, I'd like to propose to the ladies, a tour of the house tomorrow morning. I think you'll be pleased," he said hopefully.

Mom's face lit up with excitement. "Oh, Emmett, really?" He nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, I can't wait," she enthused. Alice bounced on her chair some more and even Rosalie expressed interest as she stared disdainfully at the tiny sleeping hut. She, most of all, was thoroughly fed up living in such close quarters.

"Only the kitchen is off limits, because it's a construction site at the moment and it's too dangerous to have you walking around, but the main floor and the sleeping level can be explored. Okay?"

There was a chorus of 'yes' from all of the women. I planned to ask Bella whether she still wanted her own room or if she wanted to share my room with me. I was hoping she chose to share – I liked sleeping beside her at night.

Bella and I were cleaning the dinner refuse off the table while Mom and Alice washed the dishes when Emmett sidled nervously up beside Bella.

"Ahm, Bella?"

"What can I do for you Emmett?"

He scratched his head and said quietly, "Well, here's the thing. I can't tell you why and I need you to trust me, but I want to … re-purpose some of the stones from the pathways and fences the Polynesian's left behind." Bella's eyes widened. Emmett hastened to reassure her. "I won't touch the temple sites, I know they're sacred, but I was hoping I could use the others. Ahm, I wouldn't ask, but I can't source enough stone of the right type from anywhere else close by," he explained.

Bella chewed her lip in contemplation. "You won't desecrate the temples?"

"No! Absolutely not. I know about the two you've already found. If I find any more raised platforms, I'll leave them alone. I promise I'll restrict my salvage to the pathways and the fences," he said. "Cross my heart!" he promised making the sign over his chest.

"Okay, Emmett. It goes against my very nature as an anthropologist and a native Hawaiian to agree to this, but our circumstances here are unique. I think we can be forgiven for using all of the resources we can find to make our lives better."

"Thank you! Thank you, Bella, you won't regret it, I promise you." Emmett skipped off a happy man. I know what he wanted it for. The four of us men had been collecting as much stone as possible from natural sources, but it wasn't as plentiful as we'd hoped. It was simply amazing they hadn't already notice what we'd been doing. The look on Mom and Bella's face when we showed them would be priceless – a true Kodak moment.

…

Bella wanted to take a shower after dinner, but I convinced her to take a walk to the beach with me instead. While we were gone, Mom promised to heat some shower water for us. The night was clear and the moon was full, the ever-present rain clouds absent for once. The moonlight reflected silver shadows off the still water of the beach lagoon. We sat on the sand, cuddling at the edge of the water and let the tiny waves wash over our feet.

"Are you happy?" I asked her softly.

"Very happy. Are you?"

"Yes."

"Bella?"

"Hmmm?"

"Will … (I swallowed nervously) will you share a room with me when we move into the house?"

I waited with ever growing agitation for her answer as she stared silently over the barely moving water.

"I know it might seem as though I'm rushing and all, and I'll understand if you say no, but …"

"Yes."

_Wait, what? Did she say yes?_

"Yes, you'll share a room with me?" I asked for clarification.

She nodded.

My mouth stretched into a smile.

She said yes.

…

A/N: Photos for the chapter are on my blog at jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com, but probably not until tomorrow – it's late and I have to get up for work tomorrow.

In relation to the inclusion of Hawaiian royalty in this story, I have used some artistic license. I intend no disrespect to the living descendants of the Hawaiian royal family, nor is it my intention to denigrate the great legacy of the Kamehameha or Kalakaua dynasties by including a 'royal' heritage as part of Bella's character.

In many countries outside of North America, the second floor of a building is known as the first floor rather than the second floor. Outside of North America, the first floor of a building (even if it is built off the ground on pillars or stilts like the Cullen's bamboo house) is known as the ground floor.

In regards to using the TV, don't forget they have the diesel generator, plenty of fuel and the marine batteries to make power. They've also stripped the Victory of _everything_ including wiring, power points and plumbing.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. A couple of recent reviewers have their profiles set to disallow private messaging, so I've been unable to respond. Please know that I appreciate your reviews. To oliverboyd who commented about the lack of a power source for the TV, remember the Cullen's have a diesel generator, fuel and marine batteries. They were mentioned in chapter 5.

I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but I tinkered with it endlessly until I just decided, to hell with it and posted it.

…

Chapter 20 – House Calls

I woke up hot and clammy, my t-shirt clinging to me in the sauna-like atmosphere of the sleeping hut. I feel the mattress beside me looking for Bella, but she isn't there. Yawning deeply, I open my eyes expecting to see the bright morning light filtering through the lattice windows of the hut. I am surprised to note it is still dark out and I peer into the dimness, but all I see are the dark shadows of my family still sleeping.

There is no Bella.

Sitting up, I yank my damp t-shirt over my head and crawl off the sleeping pallet to the door. I'd go find Bella, then head for the shower. Emerging into the quiet compound, I find her through the pre-dawn light. She is sitting at our makeshift dining table rubbing something between her hands. The flickering flames of the cooking fire highlight the red tones of her brunette hair and give her complexion a rosy hue.

She looks so beautiful.

I walk up behind her, my footsteps silent over the ground. A light dew from an overnight rain shower clings to the short blades of grass moistening the bottom of my bare feet. She hasn't heard me approach, so I creep up behind her intent on nuzzling the side of her elegant neck. I lean in, pressing my mouth against her skin when she yelps in fright and flings her hands into the air. The contents of her hands flutter like green confetti onto the top of the table.

"Agh!" She spun around, her hands clutched to her chest and her eyes wide with fear. I can see the hammering pulse in her neck. She relaxes a little when she sees it is me. "Oh my God, Edward!" she hisses as she whacks me in the chest with the back of her hand. "You scared the crap out of me," she reprimands.

I grin at her playfully. "Sorry, Bella, I just wanted to surprise you with a good morning kiss," I explain with a boyish pout.

Her lips compress into a line of annoyance. "Well, surprise me you did! Now, help me collect up the tea leaves before they blow everywhere," she orders brusquely.

I hesitate – _what the hell just happened_?

When she cocks a brow of inquiry at me, I hurriedly do as I was told, scooping up the dried, crushed leaves from the table and sprinkling them into a silver tea caddy. Picking up a tray holding more of the green confetti, Bella sweeps it into the tin with her slender fingers. Jamming on the lid, she places the caddy on the table out of harms way and turns to face me, stepping forward until her luscious body is plastered against me.

"Well, where is it?"

I frown in confusion. "Where's what?"

"My good morning kiss, of course."

"Oh, that. Well, I don't know if I'm in the mood now," I say with a perfectly serious face. I watch as her face falls; her mouth quivers and a telltale shine of tears appears in her eyes. _Oh shit!_ My playful retaliation backfired.

"No!" I gasp and then start pleading. "Bella, I was only teasing you. Of course I want to kiss you good morning!"

"I wouldn't want you to put yourself out," she scowls as she crosses her arms under her breasts. Her entire demeanor shouts, _"Dickhead! Fuckwit!"_.

"Bella, please listen to me," I beg, panicking. "I was joking, teasing you, I swear," I grovel to her. She looks unconvinced. I grovel harder. "Of _course_ you can have a good morning kiss. I will kiss you any time of the day or night - you just say the word."

She pouts as she considers. "Word."

I blink. "Huh?"

Gotcha," she says with a smirk as she reaches up to curve her arms around my neck. She presses her soft lips against mine. I kiss her back, nuzzling her lips with my own.

"You _are_ evil," I tell her sulkily when our mouths parted.

She sighs. "I know. It's a gift." She grins with satisfaction as she turns toward the prep bench to begin making breakfast.

I shake my head and laugh lightly. Stalking over to her, I rub my bare chest against her back. She is wearing a singlet top leaving her upper back and arms bare. "Ew, Edward, you're all hot and sweaty," she says, cringing away. "Go take a shower, baby, then you can cuddle me."

"Come shower with me," I invite seductively as I deliberately rub against her again.

"Hmmm, but I'm _not_ hot and sweaty," she retorts, grinding her butt, encased in tiny shorts teasingly against my groin.

"I know _how_ you can get all hot and sweaty," I argue softly as I nibble on her ear lobe. She shudders delicately. I smirk triumphantly.

"Oh yeah?" She crooks her neck, making room for my roaming mouth.

"Mmmhmmm." I reach around her tiny body and cup her mound, pressing down with my palm against her pubic bone. She thrusts her hips against my hand even as she simultaneously tries to grind her butt against my dick, seeking friction. Her breath hitches. I redouble my efforts of persuasion, stroking between her legs. She gasps and collapses against me.

"Changed your mind?" I inquire. I was pretty sure I had her.

I am certain of it when she whirls around, grabs my hand and strides toward the shower stall pulling me along behind her. I've no sooner started the cool shower water flowing, when I turn around to find her stark naked. I am so busy staring with awe at the stunning brunette in front of me that I neglect to notice her unbuttoning my shorts.

"Step forward."

I step and she kicks my shorts to the side.

"Brace yourself against the wall."

I like this more aggressive Bella. I lean against the bamboo pole partition. I've barely settled, when she launches herself against me, clamping my hips between her thighs.

"Hold onto me and turn around."

I obey and as I turn, Bella's thighs curve around my waist, locking behind my back. She curls her arms around my neck, clinging to me like a limpet. The cool water flows over us raising goosebumps on our skin.

"I thought you didn't want to take a shower?" I rasp as I palm her ass.

"I don't," she confirms, "but I do _want_ to fuck you," she confesses, punctuating each word with a kiss.

"Really, _Princess_, you want to _fuck. _That's not very regal language, is it now?" I say mockingly as she wiggles insistently against me.

"Shut up," she orders breathily as she slides herself onto me.

_Yes ma'am!_

…

I sit at the table watching Bella as she prepares breakfast. She is humming quietly, a slow tune that is familiar, but which I can't quite recall the name of. Our lovemaking in the shower was just what I needed, what she needed. We made love twice. The first time was for both of us, but the second time was all for Bella as I knelt at her feet worshiping her delicious delta. She tasted amazing – more than amazing – wonderful. I don't think anything will _ever _taste as good as Bella does, not even the pancakes she is making for breakfast.

Pancakes! I can't even believe that Bella is _able _to make pancakes given our lack of flour, but she says the recipe she's developed is a bit of an experiment. They are made with breadfruit flour she ground after drying some of the fruit we'd collected a few weeks ago. That was also the day we acquired two chickens and four piglets, one of which was destined for the roasting pan on Christmas day.

I sniff at the air appreciatively. A stack of the golden brown, spongy discs are laying on a plate keeping warm by the fire while Bella warms some fruit sauce sweetened with palm sugar. I'd already sliced up the bananas she'd handed me when I asked if I could help. Breakfast smells awesome and if the others don't front up to the table soon, there probably wasn't gonna be anything left, because I will have eaten it all!

I have barely finished the thought, when Emmett comes rushing out of the sleeping hut with his nose in the air, sniffing like the bloodhound I think he was in a former life. He races over to the dining area, skidding to a halt as Bella places the platter of food onto the table. He is almost salivating as he sits in his normal place and slides the plate toward him. He inhales deeply, and I swear drool drips off his teeth.

_Fucking animal! _

I scowl at him as I reach out to pull the plate into the middle of the table before he contaminates the entire serving. A tug-a-war begins, which I know will end badly if one of us doesn't surrender the plate. An image of the golden discs scattered over the dirty ground flashes through my mind.

"Hold your horses, Emmett!" snaps Bella as she takes the plate away from him. I smirk at him triumphantly. He scowls and pokes his tongue out at me.

_For fucks sake, how old is he, eight? _

"You're just as bad, Edward," she continues. _Wait, what?_ "Both of you leave that platter alone or neither of you will be getting pancakes for breakfast," she threatens. I see the stormy expression on her face, and I know she means it. She's spending way too much time with my mother. I scowl, but sit quietly.

Bella picks up the antique ships bell I'd had on Victory and shakes it. Its clear tones ring out over the compound. "Breakfast's ready, come and get it," she calls loudly, then hands me and Emmett a plate. "Four each," she says sternly. "You can have more when everyone else has eaten." Turning away, she brings a jug of fruit juice and the large stainless steel teapot of moringa tea to the table, but not before glaring at us with a withering look of warning.

I scatter sliced bananas over my stack of cakes, then dribble the sweetened fruit sauce over the top. Emmett is busy stacking four of the cakes onto the plate for Rosalie that Bella has laid beside him. He is dribbling sauce over the top of his own stack when our parents arrive at the table, closely followed by Jasper, Alice and Rosalie.

"You could have waited for me, Emmett," Rosalie reprimands sharply as she sits down beside him. "What was the big rush anyway?"

"Pancakes," he mumbles around a mouthful of the delicious breakfast dessert. He licks his lips like a dog taking a swipe at its own muzzle, then leans over to kiss his wife good morning.

"Pancakes?" carol Dad and Jasper, pulling out their chairs. They leave their respective wives standing at the table as they wait to be politely seated. I shrug at Mom and Alice as they glare at their inattentive husbands. It isn't gonna happen, not this morning anyway. They give up and sit down with long-suffering sighs.

"I already got yours for you, baby," Emmett says meekly as he spoons banana and fruit sauce over Rosalie's breakfast.

"That's too much food, Emmett. I won't eat all of that," Rose says.

"Yeah, but I'll eat what you don't," he says with a smirk of triumph, "so you eat up Rosie. You're eating for two, remember?" I high-five him for his sly thinking, then fork four of the pancakes onto Bella's plate knowing very well she'll probably only eat two of them.

"Have some moringa tea, Rosalie," Bella invites as she fills the tea cups on the table. "It's nice and hot. Juice anybody?" she offers, holding up the clear glass jug.

"Sit down, Bella," admonishes Mom as she serves herself some pancakes. She gazes at them thoughtfully, then forks a tentative bite. A look of surprised delight lights up her face. Reaching for the bananas and fruit sauce, she compliments Bella on another culinary triumph. "These are absolutely delicious, Bella. _How?_" Mom asks with admiration.

"Breadfruit flour," I pipe up as Bella sits down beside me and begins to eat her own breakfast.

"Mmmmm, really good," mumble Dad and Jasper. They and Emmett don't speak again (except for grunts of pleasure) until the platter is empty. I think I might have weighed in with a few moans myself.

"Oh, this tea is good, Bella," compliments Rosalie. "Already, my stomach feels a little more settled."

Bella smiles at her with pleasure. "I'm glad," she says softly.

"I have to agree, Bella, it's quite refreshing. I've missed having a cup of tea," Mom says with a sigh.

Alice is wiping her plate clean with a folded up pancake. Her eyes are sparkling with vibrancy and I am thrilled to see her looking and behaving more like the Alice I know. Jasper is staring at her with overwhelming relief and love. It appears the kava tea she drank last night before bed had an immediate and positive effect on her demeanor. There is no sign of the depression that plagued her yesterday afternoon.

"Breakfast was wonderful, Bella," I tell her as I lean in to give her a kiss of appreciation, "almost as wonderful as you," I whisper. She blushes and ducks her head.

Dad clasps his hands and clears his throat loudly, signaling to the rest of us that he is about to make an announcement. We all look at him with our full attention.

"Okay, morning surgery begins in fifteen minutes. You all have appointments – for check ups – no excuses!" His unexpected command elicits groans of disgruntlement. Dad frowns, then continues when we quickly fall silent. Resistance is futile. "Edward, you're first – I want to examine your arm – followed by Alice and Jasper, then Rosalie and Emmett. Bella, I'd like you to assist me with the exams if no one has any objections – it's excellent training for you."

Everyone nods their heads in agreement. I look forward to having Bella's hands on me again. I leer at her lasciviously and wiggle my brows. She rolls her eyes and pinches my thigh under the table.

_Ouch!_

"Behave," she hisses at me.

"Esme, you're last," Dad coos. "I won't need your help for Esme's exam, Bella," says Dad pointedly, making Mom blush at his implication. I smirk as Emmett guffaws and Jasper sniggers. Bella, Alice and Rosalie simply roll their eyes at our juvenile behavior. "You kids can make yourselves scarce for an hour," Dad orders.

"For goodness sake, Carlisle!" Mom reprimands sharply. Her face is flushed with embarrassment.

"What? They're all adults," he retorts, "and I want to spend some time alone with my beautiful wife," he says firmly with a gleam in his eyes that I recognize from my childhood. I didn't know what it meant then, but I do now.

Mom grumbles good-naturedly under her breath as she stands to begin clearing the table, still blushing like a schoolgirl. She shoos Bella away when she tries to help. "You go and help Carlisle get ready for the exams. The girls and I have got this – you cooked, so you get a free pass on dishes."

"Thanks, Esme." Bella follows Dad to the medical tent and I trail my brothers into the house. Emmett and Jasper show me the kitchen they've been building while we wait for Dad to call me.

I gaze around at the stone walls of the room, which is a few steps below the first floor of the house. Emmett insisted that the kitchen and laundry be fire resistant, hence the large stones we'd been collecting for months.

"How have you kept Mom and Bella from seeing any of this?" I ask them.

"We surrounded it with scaffolding and palm frond screens," replied Emmett. "For whatever reason they've not been back here and they haven't asked about it."

"You think they suspect?" I ask.

"Maybe. But if they do, they're not letting on. Well, what do you think?" Emmett asks excitedly.

"I think it's amazing."

The stone walls are held together with mud mortar and the floor is made from flat interconnecting stone in a random tile pattern. The cracks had been filled with a mixture of mud mortar and sand. We'd spent a week hauling earth to build up the floor, compacting it and laying a thick layer of gravel and shells as a secure bed for the flat stones. After each storm, my brothers, Dad and I went down to the beach to scoop up the mounds of gravel and shells the waves dumped onto the sand. Jasper had built a rudimentary wheelbarrow so we didn't have to carry it in bags.

"The room looks finished," I remark, wondering why Emmett told Bella he needed more stones.

"It is," Jasper confirms, "all expect for the cooking range."

"What cooking range?"

"The range, Em and I are gonna build Mom and Bella. Here, look at this sketch," he says, offering me the sheet of crumpled paper he took from his shirt pocket.

It is a drawing of an old-fashioned cooking range, of the type you might build in an outdoor BBQ area. There is an oven at one end with space underneath to store firewood. The picture showed Victory's oven door attached to the structure to keep the heat in where it belonged. Next to the oven is a waist height cooking top divided into three sections. Each section is topped with one of the iron double burner grates from Victory's stove. I peer at the image closely. The stove top has dividers between each grate so we only have to heat the grates needed, rather than all of them at once. Each section was filled with what appeared to be hot coals and rocks. Below the stove, there is space for more fire wood, rocks and large pots.

"So, do you think they'll like it?" Emmett asks proudly.

I grin. "I think it's gonna be fantastic. Mom and Bella are gonna be blown away. I mean, they've cooked some amazing meals on those two tripod cooking stations we rigged up for them, but this is a whole new ballgame. I had no idea this is what you wanted the extra stones for. When you asked Bella, I thought you needed more of them to finish off the walls."

"Nah, they're for the cooking range," confirms Emmett. "Hey, can you take your man-bag and fill it with volcanic rocks – you know, the ones that look like holey sponges?" I nod. "We need them for the stove as a heat conductor. Do ya think your arm's up to it?" I tell him yes, while plotting a way to distance myself from Bella for a few hours so she doesn't get curious.

"And look," Jasper says excitedly. He strides over to the row of kitchen cabinets with its stainless steel counter-top and sink we'd stripped out of Victory. "We've got power as well." He points at the bamboo poles running down the stone walls at strategic points disappearing behind a splash back. Not the most fire retardant substance to house electrical wiring, but an insulator all the same.

"Rosalie did the wiring for us, so we can plug in the microwave, the fridge and some of the kitchen appliances," interjects Emmett. "We've got power in the laundry room as well (he points to his left), but we won't be able to use the clothes dryer."

"Uses too much power?" I ask, knowing the answer.

"Yeah," Jazz agrees, "same goes for the dishwasher because they're both self-heating appliances, but we can use the washing machine as long as we wash in cold water. The hot water service and the freshwater storage tanks are stored in the laundry as well. We're gonna need your help connecting the manual bilge pump hose to the tanks." I nod my agreement. "Rosalie also rigged the hot water service to heat on demand, so we won't draw unnecessary power from the marine batteries."

"Where's the generator housed?" I ask them, impressed with their ingenuity and their progress.

"Outside near the laundry," says Emmett. "We put it in it's own little utility room with the marine batteries. Hopefully it won't make too much noise when we run it, and it's vented to the outside away from the main house."

"It's simply amazing what we've achieved here in just three months," I say with awe. The house is beautiful and I am eager to show it to Bella when we tour the house like we'd promised the girls.

"Edward!" I hear Dad yell. "Edward, where are you? Get yourself over here. Now!" he bellowed.

I scowl. "That's me. Better go before he busts a gut," I groan to my brothers. "They nod sympathetically with sulky mouths. They were next.

…

Dad prods gently around my healing wound site after removing the arm brace. My arm is resting along a pillow. He tells me to keep perfectly still as he points out the signs of recovery to Bella. She nods, takes notes and asks questions. Dad asks her to examine the area with her fingers. She pales and looks at him like a startled animal caught in a spotlight.

"Go on, Bella. You wont hurt him ... too much," mumbles Dad, making me scowl, "and it's the only way you'll learn what feels and looks normal," Dad encouraged in full chief of surgery mode.

She swallows nervously and looks at me for permission. I smile gently and nod at her. Bella tentatively strokes her fingers either side of the healing stitch line being careful not to press too hard. I can't say it didn't hurt, because it did, but no more than when Dad prodded it before. I try not to flinch too hard, so she won't panic and refuse to touch me again. I agree with Dad, examining the wound herself is the best experience she can get. Dad and Bella continue to talk quietly – Dad instructing Bella as they discuss their mutual observations.

"Edward, can you try to make a fist?" Dad asks. "Don't force it, I just want to see how your muscles and tendons are responding."

My brain sends a command to my hand to make a fist. I concentrate and watch as my fingers flex, then slowly curl forward into a claw, but that was it. I can't make my hand close tightly without experiencing extreme discomfort.

"That's good, Edward," says Dad. "It's about what I would expect ten days after surgery for a compound fracture as severe as yours was." Dad positions my arm back into the brace and straps it tight. "Okay, there is no sign of any infection, which is excellent news considering the wound was open to the humid, dirty elements for hours. Your range of movement is as I expected. I'll remove the stitches before you hike to the fishing village on Sunday, but I want you to keep the brace on and the area clean and dry. Do you understand, Edward?" Dad asks me sternly.

"Yes, brace on; keep it clean and dry. Got it," I say.

Dad narrows his eyes at my glib response. "Hmmm, good. The arm will need to stay braced for about 6 to 8 weeks to ensure that it heals correctly. There is something else I want to talk to you about though, Edward," Dad announces carefully as he sits down in front of me. He tells Bella to sit before he begins. His formal behavior has me worried and I swallow nervously.

Dad clears his throat. "Your arm is healing nicely." I nod impatiently, he'd already told me that. "But ..." he trails off as he glances down at my arm.

"But what?" I say through clenched teeth.

Dad sighs. "Edward, your left arm is a little shorter than it used to be." His tone is regretful and his eyes reflect concern about how I will react to the news.

"What!"

"When I repaired the arm, I had to remove some shattered bone. It means your forearm is about a quarter of an inch shorter than it used to be." Bella gasps. I feel myself pale and a queasy sensation settles into the pit of my stomach. I begin to shake with reaction and I think for a moment that I might actually pass out. Dad hastens to explain as he grasps my right hand. "I don't think it will restrict your range of motion or your motor abilities in the future, but it means the navy might not let you go back to active duty on board a submarine," Dad discloses. "I'm sorry, son."

_Fucking hell in a hand basket!_

I close my eyes tightly as my facial muscles contract into a grimace of disbelief. My jaw tightens as I grind my teeth together and my left hand curls into the fist it refused to make only moments before. I ignore the pain, in fact, I welcome the pain, because it prevents me from throwing my injured arm against the table in sheer rage.

_My navy career is over? _

_It can't be!_

"I'm sorry, Edward," Dad says again as he pats my hand. I can hear Bella sobbing quietly. "I think that when we get back to Hawaii, you'll be restricted to land duty."

Dad said 'when' not 'if'. He must believe that we'll eventually be rescued, which means he believes I still _have_ a navy career, even if it won't be at sea.

"Why didn't you tell me after the surgery when I woke up?" I ask him angrily.

Bella had gotten up to walk around the table. She stands behind me with her hand resting comfortingly on my shoulder. I want to shake off her sympathy, but I force myself to endure it. I want her to know I appreciate her efforts, even if I don't _want _comfort right now.

I want to be angry. _Let me be angry!_ I shout in my head.

Dad sighs and a look of chagrin crosses his face. "I should have, Edward, I'm sorry. I was … trying to protect you," he confesses. "I wanted to wait until you were in a better frame of mind before you had to deal with the news."

I nod and blow out a heavy sigh. I can understand Dad's reasoning – he knew me very well. My bullshit behavior last week wasn't entirely a surprise to my father. He didn't need to be a psychic to know that I would be surly and short-tempered with my enforced recovery.

"Are you alright, son?" Dad says, clasping my left shoulder. He squeezes gently, conveying a sense of regret and sympathy.

"Yeah, Dad. I will be. I … I just need to get my head around it. I'll be fine," I assure him, trying to convince myself as much as him. I look up at Bella. "Did you know?" I whisper.

She swallows and wipes her teary eyes. "No."

"No one knew, Edward, not even your mother. I kept my diagnosis to myself."

"Thanks," I rasp. Dad nods in understanding. I couldn't endure my mother's glances of pity if she knew about my condition. "Don't say anything yet, Dad, okay? I'll tell her when I'm ready."

"That's fine. It's your business, son. I'll be surprised if anyone even notices in any case. You deal with it in the way you want. Now, Bella, it's your turn for an exam."

Bella's eyes widen as she looks at Dad warily, backing away a few steps.

Dad rolls his eyes at Bella's reaction. "Oh, _come on_," he says incredulously. "You're studying medicine for goodness sake. It won't hurt. I'll listen to your heart, check your blood pressure, pulse and reactions to stimuli, and I'll examine your skin for parasites and fungal infections."

"Parasites!" Bella yelps.

Dad nods matter-of-factly. "Yes, parasites. Mainly ticks and mites."

She gasps. "Ticks!" I thought she might begin to hyperventilate.

"Yes, sit down before you fall down," he orders as he guides her into a chair. "I think we'll do the skin check first. I'd hazard a guess your blood pressure and pulse have just jolted through the roof," he observes wryly.

Dad quickly performs the skin check of Bella's torso and limbs after asking her to strip down to her underwear. Dad asks me to leave while he performs the exam, but Bella says it's okay, so I stay. She disrobes reluctantly until she is clad only in the tiny red bikini she'd worn yesterday – she looks fantastic, pale and slender. He checks between her fingers and toes as well as her armpits, scalp and ears before declaring her free of undesirable squatters.

"The next time you shower, I want you to inspect your breasts and genital area. Feel for slight bumps under the skin that shouldn't be there. Unexplained itchiness is also an indication that parasites might be present." Dad explains. Bella ducks her head in embarrassment and hastily redresses while Dad orders me to strip so he can inspect my skin as well.

After marking our charts with his observations and our vital signs, Dad sits down in front of us intent on some type of lecture if his demeanor is any indication. He wore an expression I'd only ever seen once before, when he gave me and my brothers the 'sex talk' as teenagers. He'd been a few years late where Emmett was concerned, but he'd hit the mark with me and Jasper.

_Oh fuck! What now?_

He coughed delicately. "I heard," (my eyes widen and Dad corrects himself hurriedly), "Ahm, I mean, I _understand_ that you two have progressed your relationship."

Bella and I look at each other with identical expressions of horror. I groan, face planting into my right hand to rub at my face incredulously. Bella flushes and tries to disappear into the chair, slumping down and curling her arms around her body.

"For _fucks sake,_ Dad!" I hiss, "don't you think we're a bit old for the sex talk?"

"No! And this discussion is not about sex per se, it's about birth control," he snaps. "I don't _want_ to have this conversation with you both, but I feel I must," he says impatiently.

I glance at Bella as she mumbles something indecipherable and slides lower in her chair. If her rump slips any further off the edge of the seat, she was gonna slide right under the table.

Dad humphs and dives right in. "You need to practice a non-chemical method of birth control if you don't want to become parents in nine months time. Even if Bella (her head snaps up, her eyes wide with panic) _was_ using a chemical birth control, it has a use-by date. Bella?" Dad says inquiringly.

"Ahm," she coughs and sits up a little, hugging her body with her arms, "Ahm … I'm on, or rather, I _was_ using the depo shot. My last one was about a week before we started the cruise," she discloses.

"It's probably worn off then, or it will soon." Dad picks up Bella's chart to make a notation. "You might not get pregnant for a few months while Bella's body adjusts, but there are no guarantees," he warns. There began an awkward lecture on the pros and cons of the birth control methods available to us, which were basically: a) total abstinence (not gonna happen); b) the rhythm method (partial abstinence with windows of opportunity for delight or disaster depending on which way you looked at it); and c) the withdrawal method (my least favorite).

I metaphorically crawl out of Dad's office fifteen minutes later with my tail between my legs and a scowl of disfavor etched across my face. I silently pray for Jasper and Alice to get the same lecture. I didn't want to be the only one getting a sex-Ed talk from his 58 year old father. Bella stayed behind to help Dad - they wanted to ask Alice how she was feeling after her first dose of kava tea. I sit down at the table beside Emmett and Rosalie.

"Dad wants to see both of you now," I tell Jasper and Alice, smirking evilly. They look at me warily.

"What the hell happened in there? You took ages," Jasper says.

I bark out a laugh. "Oh, you'll find out!"

"Wha ..."

"Jasper, Alice!" calls Dad. "I'm waiting."

"Come on." Alice stood, taking hold of Jasper's hand. They walk reluctantly to Dad's domain.

Thirty minutes later, Bella leaves the medical tent and heads off in the direction of the latrine. Less than a minute later, I hear Jasper's bellow of horror and Alice's screech of mortification as Dad begins his second sex talk of the day.

I snigger.

Emmett stares at me with narrowed eyes of distrust. "What's got you so happy all of a sudden?"

"Oh nothin' much. You'll find out in about 9 months," I say gleefully.

"Huh?" he says, absolutely clueless. Rosalie, not so much. Her mouth tightens as a hint of hostility glints in her eyes. She isn't gonna take that lecture lying down (no pun intended). Dad was in for a tough talk.

"What?" says Emmett, looking from one to the other of us, still clueless.

"Never mind, baby, it's nothing," Rosalie tells him dismissively. Thankfully for both of us, Emmett shrugs and goes back to cleaning under his fingernails. I grimace and gag.

"Jesus, Emmett, do you have to do that at the table?"

He is saved from responding when Jasper almost sprints out of the medical tent, a mortified Alice running after him. He flings himself into a chair, glaring at Emmett as he clips a nail.

"You couldn't have warned us?" he spat at me.

I shrug and snigger. "Why should Bella and I have all the fun?"

"What the hell is goin' on?" Emmett roars. He's finally caught on that we know something he doesn't.

"Nothing!" we all yell.

"He wants to see you two next," Jasper says to Emmett and Rosalie.

"I don't wanna," Emmett whines sulkily as he glares balefully at Dad. He is standing outside the medical tent talking to Bella who has returned. Dad is waving them over insistently as Emmett blatantly ignores him.

"Come on, Em," cajoles Rosalie. "How bad can it be?"

Jasper and I snicker into our fists. Alice stares intently at the sewing she'd left at the table avoiding Emmett's suspicious gaze as he walks off. She flicks away one of his fingernail clippings caught in the fibers, and picks up the cloth, stitching rapidly with expert fingers.

I count down with my fingers._ Three, two, one ..._

"Oh my god!" roars Emmett from Dad's tent. "Fucking parasites! Are you kidding me?" he yells. I hear Mom tutting from the garden where she is weeding. The three of us howl with laughter.

...

"How are you, Alice?" I ask her. I study her carefully. She is still smiling and sipping from a fresh cup of moringa tea.

"I'm good, Edward, thanks for asking." I nod. "Ahm, I want to thank you for what you did for me, um, telling Jasper your theory," she says quietly. She concentrates on her sewing as she meticulously stitches two single bed sheets together to make one large one.

"I'm just glad you're feeling better, Alice," I tell her.

She looks up. "I am," she reassures me. "The kava tea really worked last night. It doesn't taste that great, in fact, it tastes like shit, but I slept like a baby and woke up feeling renewed and refreshed," she chirps happily.

"That's good. Bella really knows her stuff. Ahm, Alice?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you sewing by hand?"

"How else would I do it?" she asks with bewilderment.

"Ahm, you could use the sewing machine," I tell her.

She blinks and stares at me dumbfounded. "_There's_ a sewing machine?"

Jasper stares at me with an expression bordering on horror. He pales and his eyes pop as he makes short chopping motions at his neck. I frown, trying to figure out what he wants.

"Edward!" Alice shrieks, recapturing my attention.

"Oh, um yeah, there is. We use it to repair the sails." Alice stares at me for long seconds.

"Where _is_ it?" she clenches out.

I swallow, suddenly afraid of the pixie sitting beside me. Jasper rolls his eyes as he mouths, _"dumbass!" _

"Um, it's under the storage tarpaulin with the rest of the stuff," I whisper, edging away from her.

"Did you know about this?" she hisses at a cowering Jasper.

He nods reluctantly, "Yes," he squeaks.

"Go. And. Get. It." She enunciates each word in case we are stupid, snapping her fingers three times in succession. "And bring a battery!" she snarls.

We take off for the tarp to look for the sewing machine. We can hear Alice mumbling in the background. " … can't believe they let me hand sew all of that stuff. Of all the asinine … stupid males … I should make them sew 24 fucking sheets together and see how their fingers feel … fricking assholes!"

"Sorry," I whisper to Jasper, "and she was doing so well."

"She's okay, Edward. That," he points his thumb in the direction of Alice, "is completely normal behavior. I couldn't be more thrilled," he says, grinning widely. "You should have seen her when I broke her weaving loom a few years ago. I thought she was gonna blow a gasket. She charged me like a baby bull until I fled and hid in the linen closet. I went camping for three days until she cooled down."

I laugh and shake my head, hardly believing Jasper's story. I can't imagine my larger-than-life older brother being afraid of his itty-bitty wife. Then again, Emmett was a bit of a pussy around Rosalie as well. I wonder if I'll be like that with Bella? I scoff inwardly. Not me, I'm a _navy lieutenant_. Then I remember her reprimand at breakfast, which had me backing down. _Shit! _She owns me. I _am_ a pussy when it comes to my woman, just like my brothers.

"Where the fuck is it?" Jasper snaps impatiently, as he moves around piles of stored equipment, fixtures and fittings. My efforts are restricted to items I can pick up with one hand. I note happily that we still have plenty of stuff we can use to improve our lot in life.

I scratch my head. "I think it's back here with the the spare sails," I say. "What happened when you got back?" I ask him.

"Found it," he sings triumphantly, leaning down to pick up the machine. "I grovelled like the wussy husband I am when faced with the wrath of ones wife, and repaired her loom. She banned me from her craft room after that."

I clap him on the shoulder. "I bet that was a hardship," I snigger.

He smirks. "Oh it was," he sighs with mock regret. "All those times she asked me to fix her equipment, build tables and hang shelves were no more. I didn't know how to deal with my sorrow," he says sarcastically as he turns around. He stops dead. I look around him.

_Oh shit!_

Alice is standing there scowling, her arms crossed and her foot tapping. She cocks a brow of inquiry at Jasper.

"Sorry," he mumbles, flushing red at being caught. "Look, we found the sewing machine!" he says cheerfully.

"Put it over there," Alice orders, inclining her head toward the table. I try to escape as Jasper walks away, but she leans toward me menacingly before I can leave. "Go get the battery, Edward … and take your time," she hisses. "Now get!"

I got.

…

We all disappeared for an hour as Dad instructed, returning to camp around lunch time. Bella went with Rosalie and Alice to the beach for some sunbathing while Emmett and Jasper went to bring back a load of stones from the Polynesian pathways. They took the wheelbarrow Jasper had made, but planned on taking their time since the path wasn't that far from camp. I headed off in a northerly direction toward the volcanic cone looking for the requested basaltic rock. I slung my man-bag diagonally across my body to take the pressure off my arm as I collected about 20 of the stones in varying sizes.

Now, I am wandering around, killing time and enjoying the sunlight shining through the trees, when I hear the sound of water falling. I follow the sound for a hundred yards or so, tramping through the tangled jungle. Pushing some hanging ferns aside, I look upon the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen since meeting Bella.

I stare with stunned awe at the scene in front of me. It is a grotto, formed in a depression left over from the island's volcanic activity. The depression is full of clear, turquoise water that sparkles like diamonds in the sunlight, forming a swimming pool. Water flows down the rock-face from above forming a protective curtain around the pool. The entire area is surrounded from above and below with ferns and flowering plants forming a perfect oasis.

Bella would love it here.

…

"Alright ladies," says Emmett enthusiastically, "it's time for the house tour," he announces following lunch. They all smile eagerly and get up from the table. I walk with Bella toward our house, holding her hand. "Remember, you can explore anywhere in the house, except the kitchen," reminds Emmett.

The house is double storey as originally designed by Emmett. A verandah with an overhanging roof surrounds both the lower and upper levels. A set of stone steps leads the way to the front entrance, which is a set of double doors taken from Victory's salon-lounge. They make for a grand entrance. The floor of the lower level is constructed from split bamboo boards with a bamboo railing around the verandah. They floor of the upper level is constructed from recycled deck boards.

"There's plenty of room on both verandahs for deck furniture and pot plants, if you want," explains Emmett. "There are windows and doorways to the verandah from every room. Some of them contain glass panes salvaged from Victory and some are open lattice with woven shutters or awnings." The girls explore eagerly, happily planning furniture placement, so they could sit and while away their idle hours.

"There's a spot upstairs that will make a perfect reading nook," I whisper to Bella. "I'll show you when we get upstairs. It's just off our bedroom," I tell her. She nods her head happily as a smile of delight splits her face. Bella has been reading some of the books from Victory's library.

Emmett leads the way inside and into a large vestibule of woven wall panels with a bamboo staircase to the upper level. We'd decided to leave Victory's stairs intact so we can move around the boat to retrieve fuel for the generator when we need it. Some of the deck remained on board for the same reason.

Mom rushes from the vestibule into the living area. It contains some items of furniture we'd made or salvaged. As most of Victory's furniture had been fitted, it wasn't always easy to incorporate it into the house. We mainly adapted it's use by dismantling some of the pieces and rebuilding them for other uses. At the end of the room is a stone fireplace with a deep mantle. It isn't large – it doesn't need to be given we were living on a tropical island, but it would be nice to have some heat in the coming winter months when the nights were cooler.

"Oh, Carlisle, boys, it's beautiful," Mom sobs joyously. Dad hugs her from behind and kisses her ear.

"That's were the TV and media equipment will go," announces Rosalie as she points to a wide expanse of wall. "We'll install it this weekend while you're all away. Jasper can you climb the tree tomorrow? I want to get the antenna in place and I think it might take a while." He nods his agreement before escorting Alice into the dining room.

Rosalie had already wired the living room and installed the necessary power outlets. A ceiling fan hung from the ceiling. It would help to circulate the hot, humid air over the tropical summer. We only had three fans; two taken from the salon-lounge and one from the boats dining room. We'd had to decide which rooms in the house would benefit the most from the additional air circulation. We'd chosen the downstairs living room, the dining room and the upstairs open lounge area.

Bella and I follow Alice and Jasper into the dining room. All it contains at the moment is a long table constructed of bamboo trestle legs incorporating the table top from Victory. Bella looks curiously toward the doorway that leads to the kitchen area, taking a few steps toward it. It is hidden from view behind a screen.

"Ah, ah, ahh," I say, shaking my finger at her negatively. "That's the kitchen, which is off limits as you well know," I remind her.

She pouts and she looks so cute I have to kiss her. "Let's go see our bedroom." She nods and I lead her upstairs to the second level.

"There are five bedrooms, an open lounge area and one bathroom. We decided to modify the original plan to give us more living space, sacrificing one bedroom and one bathroom," I explain when she queries the change in the number of rooms. "We can always add-on if we need to."

"You want to know the real surprise?" I ask her as we explore the upstairs lounge.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" I tease.

"Yes, tell me!"

"Okay. We have a flushing toilet. It's downstairs off the laundry room." I wait for the squeals of joy.

She screams with excitement, clapping and jumping up and down. "Oh my god! We have a working toilet? You mean it actually flushes?" she asks excitedly.

"Yes, well no, not yet, but it will. We took one of the electric marine toilets from the boat. Emmett and I were able to remove enough of the boats plumbing to make it possible."

"When can we use it?" she asks almost wiggling with eagerness. She is jiggling like she wants to pee right this minute.

"A couple of weeks maybe. We're still digging the trenches for the pipes to take the waste away from the house." Um, how to impart this next part delicately? I shrug and just say it. "Bella, ahem, the upstairs commode is for number one's and the flushing loo is for number two's."

She looks startled for a moment, then giggles delightedly at my little rhyme. I show her the bathroom next. It contains the promised shower stall, a commode closet and a vanity constructed of bamboo planks with two basins. There is a bamboo pouring spout for fresh water. We'd tried to use the taps we'd salvaged, but they proved problematic. We concentrated on getting water to the shower instead.

Bella strokes her hand over the vanity, noting the framed mirror above it. "We're going to need some shelves for towels and toiletries," she comments.

"We'll leave those decisions up to you ladies. You tell us what you need built and we'll build it," I tell her as I kiss her quickly. "Ready to see our bedroom?"

"Yeah," she says, gripping my hand firmly as I lead her to the first door on the left.

"The rooms aren't large, but they are adequate," I tell her as I open the recycled cabin door. Bella walks slowly into the center of the room. The walls are constructed of woven panels. The girls had worked tirelessly these past months, weaving the seemingly endless number of panels we'd needed. There is a set of bamboo french doors leading onto the verandah and a large window. There is no glass, but there are interior shutters and an exterior, woven awning to control the light and the breeze.

"It's perfect," she whispers as she runs back to me and climbs me like a vine. She peppers my face with kisses. "It's just perfect!"

I am relieved.

I have provided my woman with a home and she approves.

…

A/N: The fishing village is next. Chapter 21 also includes an unwelcome discovery, which will lead to some more drama in future chapters, and Esme finds something that she won't be dissuaded from pursuing.

Lots of photos on my blog at jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: I haven't proof read this properly, so all errors are mine. Enjoy.

…

Chapter 21 – Ghosts or Goats

I walked beside Jasper as we followed Mom, Alice and Bella through the jungle on our way to the fishing village. We'd left around 8 o'clock this morning right after breakfast as originally planned. The weather is fine and clear, as forecast by Victory's antique captains barometer, and it's expected to stay fine for the foreseeable future.

The girls are about 10 yards ahead of us talking about god knows what. Every few minutes, one or all of them would burst into peals of laughter. They look carefree and happy. Alice and Bella have linked their arms with Mom's as they tramp along in a westerly direction.

"What do ya think they're laughing about?" I ask Jasper curiously, as tinkles of mirth burst forth from the girls. Bella and Alice look back at us surreptitiously before facing forward to whisper secretively in Mom's ears. Mom shakes her head and the girls laugh again.

"I think Momma's tellin' tales," Jasper replies with a crooked grin. I chuckle ruefully. Unfortunately, I think he is probably right and our mother is spilling our childhood transgressions. Probably some of our adult ones as well if the amount of laughter is any indication.

"Well let us hope she's not divulging anything too incriminating," I say, only half joking. Jasper huffs in agreement. "Alice and Mom seem to have reconciled since the lava tube debacle," I remark.

"Yeah, they had a long talk yesterday and sorted everything out." Jasper is contemplative for a few moments. "Alice told Mom – about her depression, I mean."

"Oh."

"Yeah, it's not like she can really keep her treatment a secret in our small community, not with Dad and Bella brewing a special tea for her every night."

"I 'spose not. How did Mom take it?"

Jasper scoffed. "She said it explained a lot."

I snorted. It must have been loud enough to call the girls attention, because the three of them looked back at us curiously. I wave and shake my head indicating nothing is wrong.

"What are you and Bella up to?"

I look at him warily. "What do you mean?"

"You've been sneaking off for a few hours each day. When you come back, Bella hides something in the kitchen area."

"Have you looked?"

"Nah, but what are you two planning? Is it something to do with that shack I helped Bella build?"

How much to tell him? If I say too much, it will spoil the surprise. On the other hand, telling my brother would be harmless and give him something to look forward to. And he'll help to keep the secret if the others notice and get curious.

"You can't say anything, alright?" I say quietly. He nods. "We're makin' soap."

Jasper's eyes widen. "Soap!"

"Shhssh," I hiss at him waving my hand frantically. "It's a Thanksgiving surprise, okay? You can't say anything."

"What type of soap?" he asks eagerly.

"All types. We've made bath soap, laundry soap and dish soap so far. Bella wants to make some shampoo next. She's also experimenting with recipes for moisturizing lotion and hand cream, but our first batch didn't work out too well – it looked and smelled like curdled custard," I say with a shudder of remembered revulsion.

"Fucking ace, man! Where did Bella get the ingredients to make soap?"

"She's been extracting oil from coconuts, palm fruit and kukui nuts, and she's been collecting the fire ashes and rainwater to make the lye."

"She's a talented woman, that girl of yours," Jasper remarks with awe.

I nod. "That she is. Just keep the secret, okay? The first batch of bath soap should be cured and ready in a few weeks."

"I will, I will! Wow, soap. The girls are gonna be ecstatic, especially Alice." Don't I know it – even I can't wait to lather up with one of the lightly scented coconut bars.

"How are your hands?" I ask him, nodding toward his wrapped limbs. He holds up the slightly swollen and obviously painful extremities.

He grimaces. "Fucking sore!"

"You want me to ask Bella for some painkillers for you?"

He considers for a moment before deciding. "Not yet, I'll wait until the next stop. It's only about half an hour to wait."

"Mom fucking freaked when you fell out of that tree," I remember out loud.

He snorts with irony. "Mom freaked? I _fucking_ freaked, Edward! One minute, I'm securely tethered to the tree cutting away branches so the antenna mast will be straight, and then next thing I know, I'm loose and trying to clutch onto the trunk to break my fall." He shudders in recollection.

All I remember was the screaming of Mom and the girls as they watched him fall while Dad, Emmett and I raced forward to try and catch him before he hit the ground. I didn't give my broken arm a single thought. I was only concerned with my brother's safety. Thankfully, he was able to break his own fall, emerging from the tree remarkably uninjured except for his manly pride. Unfortunately his hands took the full brunt of his freefall and they were full of deeply embedded splinters from where his hands had gripped the trunk.

"Are you sure you should have come? We could have delayed the trip or Dad could have come with us instead."

"No, Ed, I wanted to come. Alice has been looking forward to getting away, and truthfully, I could do with the break as well. I know we're close to being finished with the house and movin' in and all, but I'm tired. All of this worry over Alice hasn't helped either. I need this," he tells me.

I nod in understanding – I'm tired as well, we all are. It had been three long months of back-breaking work with few labor saving tools. Stripping the boat had taken weeks and cutting enough bamboo and tree branches, not to mention dragging it all back to camp had taken weeks more. Once we had enough materials, building on the house had begun in earnest. Emmett hadn't let up on any of us, not that we objected very much.

The girls had trimmed bamboo and branches to length, and weaved wall panels and mats until their hands were blistered and bleeding. Not one of them complained, not even Alice. Mom and Bella looked after the garden and did all of the cooking, and all of the girls went foraging for food every day. Jasper fished and checked the animal traps while Alice put her not inconsiderable sewing skills to good use turning the twin-berth sheets and blankets into queen-sized ones suitable for larger beds. Thankfully, she forgave me and Jasper for neglecting to tell her we had a sewing machine. Jasper had been in the dog-house with his tiny dynamo of a wife for two days, while I got off scott-free.

"How many splinters did Dad and Bella pull out of your hands?"

"Nine out of my left hand and seven from the right one."

"Any sign of infection?"

"Not yet, thank Christ, but Dad made me promise to tell Bella immediately if I experienced any onset signs like fever, pus or stiffness in my arms."

"I hope to fuck, nothin' happens this weekend, man, because we're not gonna be much good to them (I indicated the women ahead of us) if shit goes down. Not with my broken arm and both your hands out of commission," I say worriedly. Jasper doesn't respond, but his face reflects the same sense of worry I'm certain mine does at this moment.

"Rest break, ladies," Jasper calls a few minutes later.

We all come to a halt in a small clearing, unloading our beach-bag backpacks and sitting down for a fifteen minute rest. Bella hands out snacks of bananas and coconut sponge cake for energy while Mom pours the rest of the moringa tea from the thermos we'd brought. Jasper checks the map he'd made from memory, announcing his estimate of another hour before we reach the fishing village. That timeframe will have us arriving at the village between 12.30 and 1 pm.

"How are you feeling, Jazzy?" Alice says, sitting close to her husband. She cradles one of his wrapped hands between her own.

"I'm good, darlin'."

"No fibbing, Jasper, to make me feel better," she tells him sternly.

"No, darlin', they're sore, but not more than they were this morning, I swear."

Alice looks skeptical. "Well okay," she says at last, "but you promise to tell me if that changes?"

Jasper kisses her temple reassuringly. "I will, Alice."

Bella pulls the first aid kit from her pack and shakes two painkillers from a small capped bottle and an antibiotic capsule from another one. She hands them to Jasper who takes them dutifully and swallows them down with a swig of water from his bottle.

I sit down behind her, my legs either side of hers. She leans back against my chest and sips her tea as she nibbles on her snack. "How you doin', princess?" I ask her quietly as I nuzzle her ear.

Bella squirms against me. Her ears are very sensitive I've come to realize. "I'm fine, Edward. I'm excited about reaching the fishing village and exploring."

"Not about spending time with me?" I say as I suck her lobe into my mouth. My mother is thankfully engaged in searching for something in her pack.

"You know I am."

"But not as much as spending time exploring the village?" I say with a whiny note in my voice.

She chews on her lip and twists her hands nervously. "Are you mad?" she asks me worriedly.

I notice she does not deny that spending time in the fishing village holds more excitement for her than spending time alone with me. If I were a less confident man, I might feel annoyed at her disinterest. I cuddle her reassuringly, pushing the querulous feeling away. "No, Bella, I'm not mad. I'm a little jealous that an ancient mound of dirt, rock and huts holds more allure for you than me at the moment, but I'll get over it," I tell her, pouting boyishly.

She leans her head back against my shoulder to look up at me. "Good. You do that," she says pithily. I chuckle and bend down to kiss her upturned mouth.

"What were you ladies laughing about before?" I ask her when I release her mouth.

"Nothing you need to worry about," she tells me dismissively, a secretive smile skirting around her mouth.

"Was my mother telling tales?" I ask her as my hand rests at her side. I am prepared to tickle her mercilessly to get the truth from her if I have to. She ignores me, sipping at her tea. My fingers slip under her t-shirt and skate across the sensitive skin of her side. She jerks and giggles involuntarily.

"Don't you do it!" she warns as she clutches my hand through the poly-cotton cloth.

"I will," I threaten, dancing my fingers over her skin again. She giggles and wiggles her rump against my groin. I groan as my dick reacts predictably to contact with her delicious ass. It is the inappropriateness of my involuntary arousal in the presence of my mother that makes me desist as Bella asked. We sit quietly for the rest of the rest period waiting for Little Eddie to calm down, hidden from prying eyes behind Bella.

"Let's go," says Jasper as Alice braces a booted foot against a fallen log and clutches his forearms to help him stand. Our girls help us on with our packs and we set off again in a westerly direction. This time, I walk with Bella, holding her hand while Mom walks with Jasper and Alice.

"What do you expect to find at the village?" I ask Bella curiously. I don't know much about anthropology, or what she expects to find in a village that was obviously abandoned decades if not hundreds of years ago.

"Evidence of the former inhabitants way of life," she explains.

"What type of evidence?"

"How they built their huts; what their fishing nets and work tools are like," she says warming up to the subject, "what they carved their cooking implements from and how they made their clothes. Things like that."

"Are you expecting it to be different to what you already know of the Polynesian history?"

"Possibly there are some differences. Like all races who venture forth to build new colonies, the people adapt their culture to meet the conditions of the land and the climate. This island bears some of the plants, trees and animals I expect to find in a Polynesian settlement, but there are other things here I find unusual."

I frown. "Like what?"

"Well, the bamboo, the iguanas and the moringa tree for example. They're not species indigenous or endemic to the Pacific islands. They are introduced species, but as far as I can tell, no one has lived on this island for a very, very long time."

"So you're saying, that the presence of those species indicates that somebody _other _than the Polynesians brought them here?"

"Exactly."

"Then why haven't we seen any other evidence of a settlement, like buildings or items left behind by explorers or other shipwreck survivors? Weren't explorers and shipwrecks fairly common in the Pacific region two hundred years ago?" I ask her.

"Yes, and that's what I'm hoping to confirm by exploring the village. If these explorers interacted with the islanders, there might be evidence of it. The islanders may have traded with the explorers."

"And this is important because?"

"It's not," she says with a laugh. "It is interesting to _me_, but the answer's not crucial to our survival other than as a curiosity to be explained. However, if these explorers introduced the foreign species we already know of, what else did they bring here that we haven't yet found?"

I shrug. "Other animals and plants, or perhaps tools," I say.

"Exactly. We've only explored the southern side of the island and now we're heading to the west. There is still the east and northern sides to discover. There might be many useful discoveries," she says as exhilaration glows from her eyes.

I squeeze her hand, loving the excitement of discovery that lights up her face. She is probably the only one of our group who is not all that disappointed to be here on this island, from a purely academic point of view, of course. "Okay, Princess Manulani, I tell you what. After Christmas when the dry season is well established, we'll set up a trip to explore other parts of the island. What do you say?"

"Really?" I nod and grin. "I say yes!" she says excitedly.

…

We arrive at the fishing village at just on 1 pm. We are all weary and in need of a rest. Although the humidity is dropping as the wet season comes to an end, carrying our heavy packs for four hours has taken its toll on our bodies. We (as in Jasper and I) decide the group will rest for a while and refresh ourselves with some water and food. Bella stares at me with incredulity and I am forced to physically restrain her from racing off to explore the village as soon as we arrive. She sits impatiently, looking around with rapidly moving eyes as she tries to absorb everything in sight.

"Relax, Bella," I chide. "As soon as we rest for a bit, we'll set up the tent and I'll go with you to explore, I promise."

She sighs and pouts. "Oh, _alright_. It's just … I feel like I've been waiting forever to see the village since Jasper told me about it, and now that we're here, I don't want to waste one moment!"

"One hour, tops. I promise," I say again. She nods reluctantly and continues to look around with a glum expression. I can imagine her making mental notes in her head about what to explore first. "Let's pick a good spot for the tent," I say to the others before Bella loses patience and goes off on her own.

"How about over there on that flat ground by the creek?" Jasper says, pointing to a grassy clearing shaded by tall palm trees.

"Looks good to me," I agree. "It's flat, shaded and close to water. Mom and I will pitch the tent while Alice and Bella collect some stones and wood for a fire," I say, taking the lead. "Take a load off, Jazz," I tell him, climbing to my feet. "Don't go too far for the stones and the firewood," I tell the girls. As they wander away, I notice Bella is looking at the dilapidated remnants of the huts rather than where she is going.

"Bella!" I bark. She looks up, annoyed at my tone. "Concentrate on where you're goin'," I reprimand her sharply. She narrows her eyes at me in a glare. "I don't want you getting lost," I call to her gently. Her face softens in understanding, and she pays better attention to her immediate surroundings rather than the village she is itching to explore.

Within 40 minutes, Mom and I have erected the sail tent and the girls have made a fire pit encircled with stones. It is loaded with firewood ready to light when it gets dark. We have collected water from the creek ready to boil and I have dropped a small fishing net into the lagoon at Jasper's direction. We situate our improvised camp beds of rolled up sun-lounge mattresses in the tent. Each of us has a blanket to keep away the overnight chill.

"Now?" asks Bella impatiently.

I roll my eyes. "Yes, now." She runs off in the direction of the village proper, tripping over her own feet in her enthusiasm. She falls to her hands and knees and I race after her, concerned she is hurt. "Bella! Bella! Are you alright?" I scream as I reach her side.

She looks ruefully irritated with herself as I help her stand. "Yeah, Edward, I'm fine. I'm just a klutz is all," she says as she brushes off her hands and knees. I breath a sigh of relief that there are no bleeding wounds.

"Slow down for goodness sake," I scowl at her. "This village has withstood the sands of time for hundreds of years. It's not going anywhere." My voice holds an edge of annoyance I cannot hide. I hold out my hand in command. "I'll go with you." She takes my hand and we walk into the village at the slower pace I enforce. "Where do you want to go first?"

"Over there," she says, indicating a number of dilapidated huts built in a semi circle around what looks to be a large open common area. On the opposite side is a triangular structure that is open at both ends. There looks to be the remnants of a canoes inside resting on chocks off the ground. One of them has tumbled off and has smashed into pieces.

Most of the huts are surprisingly still standing. Their thatched roofs are gray with age. Large holes abound, exposing the wood frames built from tree branches. Many of the buildings have stone foundations about two feet high which I find strangely interesting. The ancient Hawaiian building techniques were not so different from the ones western civilization uses today.

Bella and I spend the afternoon exploring each of the structures. Each time she finds an artifact she squeals in excitement, oohing and aahing over each new discovery. She has taken a small notebook and pencil from her back pants pocket and meticulously draws a representation of many of the items, noting where they were found and what its purpose was. I look at some of her renderings. She is pretty good, I note. Not as good as me though and I offer to draw the rest of her pictures while she takes notes instead.

"You never told me you can draw?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty good at it actually. I always loved art in school. It was one of two 'fun' subjects I allowed myself. The rest of my subjects were the mandatory English and then maths and the sciences."

"What was the other one?" Bella hands me her note book and pencil as well as a small plastic pencil sharpener. She takes another notebook and pencil from her other pants pocket making me chuckle. She has come prepared.

"One what?"

"Fun subject?"

"Oh, music."

"What type of music?" She asks curiously as we walk toward a dwelling that is set apart from the others. It is larger and seems to be in a better state of repair, having been shielded somewhat from the elements by the semi circle of buildings. There are openings which represent windows and a set of stone steps leading to a doorway.

"Piano and guitar. I've played both instruments since I was a child. Mom taught me to play the piano when I was about five years old. I picked up the guitar when I was about twelve, I think."

"You must miss it?" she condoles.

"Yeah, I do. I miss the piano the most. I have a gorgeous baby grand piano in my living room in Honolulu. She's beautiful," I reminisce, "black and glossy with white, white keys. She's tuned to within an inch of her life."

"Her?" Bella quirks a brow of inquiry.

I blush. "Um yeah."

"What's her name?" Bella asks with amusement.

"Ahm … Clara."

"You named your piano, Clara?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why, Clara?"

"Hmmm," Bella confirms. She is peering into the partly open doorway of the large hut. It is dark inside being in the shade of the late afternoon sun. I pull the flashlight from the clip attached to one of my belt loops and hand it to her.

"Clara Pringle was the name of my piano teacher. After Mom taught me all that she knew, she said I needed to be tutored by somebody more accomplished than her. Clara was my teacher for eight years from the time I was eight years old. She died the night of my first solo piano recital. It was a concert featuring Hawaii's most talented junior musicians at the Waikiki Shell. The Shell seats 2,400 people and was being televised on national television. I was so nervous at playing in front of so many people," I recalled, "and that nervousness made me … testy, shall we say."

Bella chuckled. "Did she see you play that night?"

"Yes. After she gave me a verbal boxing followed by a few more words of encouragement, I walked on stage in my black tuxedo and I played Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major."

"Wow. Isn't that an orchestral piece?"

"You know Mozart?" I ask her. I did not imagine Bella as being a lover of classical music.

"Well, not personally," she responds sarcastically, "but my grandmother likes to listen to his music. She has a number of piano CDs."

"Um, Sorry." I unintentionally implied she is musically inferior."

"That's okay. So what happened to Mrs Pringle?"

"She had a heart attack in her bed and died. She was 84 years old. Two days later, I was invited to attend Juilliard. I turned them down."

She stares at me for a long moment. "You were invited at 16 to attend Juilliard, the premiere music academy of the modern world, and you turned them down?" Bella says with astonishment.

"Ahm yeah. I loved music but I also loved the navy. I'd always wanted to join the navy every since I was a toddler and I got my first wooden boat. I struggled with the decision. I went for a visit, sat in on some classes and even played with their orchestra, but in the end, I chose the navy."

"Do you … ever regret your decision?" Bella asks me softly.

"Sometimes, but then I think about being at sea and I can't imagine doing anything else."

"Is that what you meant that day you said you understood about doing one thing, but wanting something else."

"When you talked about being an anthropologist versus a librarian?" I asked for clarification. She nodded. "Yes, I suppose it was. Turning down Juilliard wasn't as easy as I made it seem." I hold my arms out in front of me trying to see the difference in length. "Do you think I'll have trouble playing the piano now?" I say sadly.

"I don't know, Edward," she says as she hugs me around the waist in a comforting gesture. "What does Carlisle say?"

I shrug. "I don't know. I haven't asked him."

She looks up at me. "Don't you think you should?" I shrug again. "I think you should ask your dad. Try not to dwell on it, Edward. You won't know your range of movement until you play again and it might improve with practice," she remarks wisely. "Ask your Dad."

"I will. Okay, now what say we explore this last hut before we call it a night? It'll be dark soon." She nods. "Lead the way," I say turning on the flashlight in her hand.

Bella pushes open the door to the hut and shines the beam of the flashlight around. There are the same remnants of habitation we have seen in the other huts, but this time there is more. A lot more.

"What the … ?" Bella says in an shocked voice.

"Christ. What is that?" I say as I arc the beam of the flashlight over the foreign structure hanging from the ceiling.

"_That_ is an abandoned bee hive – a huge one!" Bella says excitedly.

"God it smells," I say disgustedly as I pinch my nostrils closed with my hand. I almost hit myself in the head with the flashlight. Bella takes it from me and walks closer to the structure. She is able to reach up and touch the comb without stretching, that's how big it is. Bending down, she picks up a sharp rock and breaks a piece of the comb away inspecting it closely in the artificial light.

"Look at this, Edward?" she says excitedly. "The comb still feels waxy, which means it hasn't been infiltrated by vermin."

"Yeah, so?"

Bella grimaces. "For such an intelligent man, you really are dense sometimes, Edward," she yells at me impatiently.

"Hey!"

"Well _shit_, Edward, we can melt the comb down for the wax, you idiot. We can make candles!"

My eyes widen as I realize what she is saying. We'd have a light source that wouldn't rely on batteries. "How will we get it home from here? It's a 4 hour journey, Bella. There's too much of it to carry," I say reasonably.

"We can make a travois and drag it home."

I quirk a brow of skepticism. "A travois? I don't know Bella." I hate to disappoint her, but neither Jasper or I was in any condition to drag what looked like 100 pounds of bee comb back to camp, and I say as much.

"I'll drag it, Edward," she offers rashly.

"Bella, you can't ..."

"_Don't_ tell me what I can and can't do, Edward Cullen! I'm _not_ leaving here without that comb. How either get on board and help me build a sturdy travois, or do I have to call on your mother and brother?" she says with her arms crossed over her chest.

I scowl. She lifts her chin determinedly, then stomps out of the hut. I follow her with my eyes as she runs back to our tent camp calling eagerly for the others.

"DON'T RUN," I yell after her.

She shows me the finger, but slows down to a jog.

"Her grandmother must think she's a saint," I mumble to myself as I stalk after her. Bad language and rude gestures – not behavior I imagine is acceptable from a princess.

"What is all this racket?" demands Mom as she arrives at the tent camp. She has been down to the beach checking the fishing nets. She has four good sized fish in her hands for our dinner. Alice and Jasper arrive from the direction of the jungle. Alice is pulling down her t-shirt as she runs. I can see her yellow bikini top hanging out of Jasper's pant pocket. I can only imagine what those two had been up to.

"Look! Look!" Bella exclaims waving the comb around in the air. "We found an abandoned hive and the comb is still intact."

"Oh," breath Mom and Alice with instant clarity. Even Jasper sees the significance immediately.

"How much is there?" Mom asks as she takes the comb from Bella and feels it. She rubs the transfer wax between her fingers.

"At least 100 pounds," I say. "Bella wants to take it home to make candles." I roll my eyes at Jasper thinking that he at least will realize the stupidity of her suggestion.

"Great idea," he says.

Wait! _What?_

"We'll build something so we can drag it," he suggests. Bella's face is wide with a huge grin. She turns to me and pokes her tongue out. _'So there,'_ her gesture says, making me scowl again.

"Oh _please_, Edward," Bella cajoles, changing tactics. "We might not get another opportunity like this for a long while. I can't make proper candles from only solid coconut oil," she implores. "It's too soft and it melts at the first hint of flame."

"You've been trying to make candles?" Mom asks.

"Yes, but I can't stop them from melting into a puddle when I light the wick, and the oil sometimes ignites," she says disheartened."

Mom hugs Bella tightly. "Oh, Bella, what _would_ we do without you?" she says rhetorically, kissing Bella on the forehead. "Alright everyone, it's getting late. Let's get the fire lit and dinner cooking. We can talk about it some more as we eat." Mom leads Bella to the camp fire and Alice follows leaving me fuming at Jasper.

"Are _you_ nuts?" I clench out at him.

"Huh?"

"How are we gonna drag 100 pounds of smelly comb back to camp over the uneven terrain we followed to get here, huh? Tell me?"

Jasper sighs with exasperation. "The same way we've done everything else on this island, Edward! Slowly, carefully and with determination. I agree with Bella. Leaving comb behind that's in pristine condition like this apparently is, is _not _an option. By the time we come back, wax moths or other vermin will have destroyed the comb, making it useless. We _need_ to take it with us now."

I stalk away from my brother, fuming that he has sided against me. I join the girls and help with dinner preparations. I fill a small pot of water from the creek, resting it on a stone at the side of the brightly burning campfire. Mom and Bella are scaling the fish while Alice wraps some sweet potatoes in wet banana leaves to roast in the fire. I take the plastic container of sliced moringa beans from Bella's pack. We will have a tasty and filling meal for our dinner.

The discussion over the pros and cons of dragging the comb home continues over dinner and well into the evening. It is four against one (me being the one) by the time we retire to the tent for the night. The rest of our evenings discussion centered on what else we've found at the fishing village. Jasper is fascinated with the ancients' fishing implements and asks Bella if he can take some of them back to camp to study. He thinks he might be able to replicate the fish hooks and some of the other tools.

…

I cuddle Bella from behind and she snuggles back against me under the blankets. She gently takes my broken arm and drapes it over her waist. "I'm sorry, Edward," she whispers. "I know you disagree with my decision, but I believe in what I'm doing."

"Shssh, I know," I say, and I did.

…

"Jasper! Jasper! I hear Alice hissing hours later. It is still dark out, but the glow of the cooling fire throws some light into the tent. Jasper is dead-to-the-world and snoring loudly, happily oblivious to his wife's frantic hissing and shaking of his shoulders.

"What _is it, _Alice?" I whisper. "You'll wake everyone up."

"Good! I hear something," she hisses at me. "I hear something or someone walking about out there."

"It's probably an animal," I tell her dismissively. "Go back to sleep. It'll be daybreak soon (I check the green glow of my watch) and we have a long, busy and heavy day ahead of us," I remind her.

"It doesn't sound like the steps of any animal I've seen on this island," she says insistently. "Go and check," she orders me.

"No!"

"Please, Edward," she pleads. "Please!"

I roll my eyes. God help me from women who are scared of things that go bump in the night. I gently extricate myself from Bella and roll to my knees. Crawling to the tent opening, I look out, but I can't _see _anything.

"There's nothing out there," I tell her. I'm crawling back to my bed when I hear a clacking sound from somewhere outside. It repeats a few times, like footsteps over uneven stones.

"Edward! Did you hear that? Tell me you heard that?" Alice whispers frantically.

"Yes, I _heard_ it. I still say it's an animal. Go back to sleep, Alice, I'm begging you," I say wearily as I lie down beside Bella again and pull the blanket over me.

"You're such an ass!" Alice hisses at me as she slumps onto her own mattress hiding behind her sleeping husband.

"Yeah, yeah," I mumble as I fall back to sleep.

…

"What do you think it is?" I hear Bella whisper.

"I don't know, but it's been going on for hours and it's freaking me out. Edward told me to go back to sleep. He wouldn't even look properly," Alice whines, ratting me out to my girlfriend.

"What did Jasper say it was?" Mom's voice whispers as I open bleary eyes. Three jean-clad rumps wave at me from the door. I blink and rub my eyeballs. Yep, Mom and the girls are on their hands and knees poking their heads outside.

"Nothing! I couldn't wake him."

"He always did sleep like the dead," Mom remarks without surprise.

"I can't see anything," says Bella.

"But you can hear it, right? I'm not imagining things?" says Alice.

"Yes, I hear it."

"So do I," agrees Mom.

"What do you think it is?" Bella says.

"An animal, maybe," suggests Mom, the voice of reason and farm-girl extraordinaire. Thank god for some female sense.

"Maybe it's a ghost?" gasps Alice with all seriousness.

"What!" Mom and Bella whisper incredulously.

"Well, we are in a ghost town, aren't we? This place just oozes creepiness," she says. Her dainty rump shudders with emotion. "Maybe something horrible happened here, and the ghosts of the past are haunting the village. Maybe … maybe," she says, desperately reaching, "they don't like us being here and they're trying to scare us away!"

Mom and Bella turn their heads to stare at Alice, testing her sanity.

"Oh, Alice, there's no such thing as ghosts!" Mom retorts, "You're letting your imagination get away from you." Mom looks at Bella. "How much of that tea did you give her anyway?"

Bella shrugs. "Just the normal dose."

"I am _not_ hallucinating!" she screeches at them.

Click, clack. Click, clack. Click, clack. Click, clack.

"Shit, it's coming closer!" shrieks Alice as she wiggles backwards into the tent.

If the three of them weren't so ridiculous, I'd be laughing my ass off right about now. I wish Jasper was awake to witness the spectacle the three of them made. We'd never let them live it down!

"I'm going out there," declares Mom. "Who's coming with me?"

What! That definitely wakes me up.

"I will," Bella says with a slight squeak of fear in her voice.

"You're _not_ leaving me here alone," Alice whines.

"Well, _come on_ then," Mom orders, reaching back and yanking Alice by the arm to the door. "Look, the sun's coming up, we should be able to see what it is," she says to Alice.

I look out into the open village. Yep, the sun is definitely casting its rays from the east. Second by second, the darkness of night is chased away. I roll my shoulders and sit up, as the women crawl stealthily out of the tent. Sleep is apparently off the agenda with the three of them acting like amateur ghost-busters. I kick jasper in the leg with my bare toes as I prepare to head out after them.

"Wake up!" I hiss at him.

"Wha ..." he moans incoherently.

"Wake up! Your wife has Mom and Bella chasing after ghosts, for fucks sake. Now get up!"

"Ghosts!"

"Yes."

"It's probably an animal," he mumbles dismissively. He rolls over, intent on going back to sleep. Oh no he_ fucking_ doesn't!

"That's _exactly_ what I _told_ Alice at 3 am this morning!" I snap at him. "But she's apparently been awake all night imagining all sorts of strange happenings. Now she's convinced we're camping in a ghost town and the three of them have gone looking for … whatever the fuck they think it is," I growl, waving my arms around.

"The three of them?"

"Alice, Bella _and_ Mom." I snarl impatiently. "Will you get the fuck up already? We need to find them before they get themselves into trouble." On that note, I race out of the tent, barefoot and sleep ruffled, peering into the dim morning light looking for our three hunting females. Jasper joins me outside. He stretches and yawns widely, scratching his stomach through his t-shirt with swollen fingers.

"Oh fuck!" he yelps. He scowls ferociously as he tries to shake the pain away.

"Forget did you?" I snigger.

He glares at me and folds his wrapped hands against his stomach protectively. "Where are they?"

"How the fuck should I know?" I hiss at him. "They took off while I was trying to get you out of bed you fucking skunk. You sleep like the fucking dead, do ya know that?"

"Don't be an asshole, Edward. You …"

"Oh my god, they're charging us!" squeals Alice from the beach.

Jazz and I look at each other and take off in the direction of Alices' strident voice. She is screaming incoherently. I can hear Bella shushing her. Jasper and I race to the beach terrified that Mom and the girls are in serious trouble. We are nearly there, hobbling over the uneven stones and rocks strewn about, when Alice runs screaming into the village like the high-strung filly she really is. She bolts straight past us, not giving us a single thought. We turn our heads to stare after her while still running in the direction of the beach. We watch her with stunned relief as she dives into the tent and whips the sides closed.

"Fucking hell! What now?" groans Jasper.

Bella and Mom are squealing as we make our way up the black sand beach. I can see their outlines as they sprint down the sand being chased by a herd of …

"Fuck me!" I say.

"Those are goats! Where the hell did goats come from?" Jasper yells.

"I don't fricking know, but they're feral and not very happy by all accounts. You get Mom and I'll get Bella," I say to him.

"How!" Jasper asks as he holds up his bandaged hands.

"I don't know, man. Hook your arm through hers or something. Just get her off the fricking beach until we figure out what to do about the damned goats!"

Jasper sprints toward Mom and I sprint towards Bella. The herd of goats with their lethal horns are gaining on them. One of them bends its head down in a classic 'charge' stance and gallops down the sand. The rest of the herd follows. The one charging is apparently the alpha of the gang. They have clearly adapted to life on an island, because the soft sandy surface doesn't slow them at all.

"RUN!" I scream at Mom and Bella.

"We are!" they scream back.

"RUN FASTER!"

"We are!"

Bella says something to Mom and they break away from our direction to head toward the water. They hit the shallows of the lagoon and run through the waves, their legs kicking out behind them. They stop when they are thigh deep and panting to regain their breath. The goats halt at the waters edge bleating at Mom and Bella aggressively.

Jasper and I skid to a stop on the sand watching the pacing, bleating goats warily.

"What do we do now?" I ask him. Jasper's the expert on wild animal behavior.

"I say we wait a few minutes. They'll probably get bored and wander away shortly. Goats like to eat more than anything else in the world, but there's not much in the way of food they'd eat on this beach."

The idea of being held at bay by a herd of goats is anathema to me, but I don't know what else we can do. If we chase after them and they turn on us, we'd be in deeper shit than we are now seeing as both of us are walking wounded.

I shrug and prepare to wait. Mom and Bella are edging their way slowly through the water adjacent to the beach, putting distance between them and the psychotic goats. "Look," I say to Jasper pointing at them.

"I see them. That's it, keep moving," he whispers encouragingly even though they can't possibly hear him. When they are fifty yards further away and near a large outcropping of rocks that is half in, and half out of the water, they duck behind them and wade their way onto the beach.

"Come on," I say edging backwards up the beach. I'm not prepared to turn my back on the goats, especially the alpha male. He has turned away from the lagoon and is staring at us with wild eyes of fury, stamping his feet agitatedly. I'd heard goats could be bad tempered, but this guy takes the cake.

Having reached the relative safety of the fishing village, we intercept Mom and Bella as they run from further up the beach.

"ARE YOU OKAY?" Jazz and I yell at them simultaneously.

"Yes," they pant. They are bent over at the waist resting their hands on their knees as they try to catch their breath. I take Bella into my arms, squeezing the meager breath from her lungs as Jasper embraces Mom.

"Good."

I release Bella to pace in front of them and tug my hair at its roots. A sound emits from my chest that I think is half relieved laughter and half terrified sobbing. Jasper starts pacing in the opposite direction. Each time we pass we have a silent conversation with our eyes. We look like two gunslingers pacing off for a shoot out. We turn and select our targets. It isn't each other.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

Jasper chimes in with, "ARE YOU ALL NUTS?"

I hiss at them, "WHAT POSSESSED YOU TO RUN AFTER WILD FUCKING GOATS?"

From Jasper, "YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED!"

"DID YOU NOT _SEE_ THEIR FUCKING BIG HORNS?"

Jasper again with, "ARE YOU ALL FUCKING NUTS?"

Each time we yell at Mom and Bella, their faces get more mutinous. Their eyes narrow; their mouths thin; their faces flush and if looks could kill, we'd both be dead.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" yells Mom. We both fall reluctantly silent. Mom steps toward us invading our personal space. She looks up and pokes us both in the chest with the index finger of each hand.

"Have. You. Both. Finished?" she growls at us. Each word is punctuated with a vicious poke.

Ow! We swallow and nod. "Yes, ma'am."

"For your _fucking_ information my children (oh oh) we weren't chasing _fucking_ goats as you so eloquently screamed at us. We were following tracks in the sand. We didn't _know_ they belonged to _fucking _goats as you put it, until they came charging down the beach at us."

Oh.

"Don't. You. EVER. Speak. To. Me. That. Way. Again." More vicious pokes. "Do I make myself _perfectly_ clear?" she hisses at us.

She has her fight face on.

I gulp and my eyes widen. I see Jasper nod and take a tentative step back.

Mom breathes out and straightens her clothes. "Good!" she snaps sharply. "I won't tell your father about this, but if there is _ever _a repeat, you won't be able to sit down for a week. You're not too old to put over my knee, do you understand?"

"Yes, Mom," I say, ashamed. I glance at Bella. She is looking at me like I am the worst son of a bitch under the sun. I don't know how I will face her later on.

"Yes, ma'am," agrees Jasper meekly.

"Mom, I-I'm sorry," I say. "I didn't mean to disrespect you, but … I almost had a heart attack when I saw you being chased by wild goats. I-I would never forgive myself if I-I let something happen to you on my watch," I tell her honestly.

"I understand, son, but I'm not one of your subordinates in the navy. You can't speak to me that way and believe that I will put up with it. You must learn to moderate your words, okay?" I nod and step forward to hug her. She embraces me and pats my shoulder in forgiveness.

"I'm sorry too, Mom," Jasper says as I step away from Mom. I leave them to talk as I tentatively walk toward Bella who is standing alone with her hands crossed over her chest. Her stance is standoffish and uninviting. Her eyes berate me as I stop in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Bella … for yelling at you like that. Are … are we okay?"

She quirks a brow. "Probably, Edward … actually, I-I don't know. I'm pissed at you. I agree with your mother. You don't get to speak to me that way. I put up with shit like that from Mike Newton – I won't go through that again. It's not right."

"I know."

"Don't do it again."

I swallow down the lump in my throat. "Yes." I reach out to touch her, but she side steps me. My hand drops aimlessly by my side. _Shit!_

Mom claps her hands and rubs them together enthusiastically, calling our attention.

"So, let's catch us a goat, shall we?" she announces, perfectly serious.

_Huh?_ Jasper and I are slack jawed.

"Preferably a nanny-goat – one with a kid or two."

"Wha ..." mumbles Jasper. He shakes his head, trying to clear the fog. His brain is finding it hard to compute that Mom wants to chase after goats, after being chased by goats.

_Is she for real?_

"Alice, come out here!" Mom yells. She waits for Alice to timidly creep across the rough ground before launching into her plan for the morning. Jasper places his arm around her shoulder, hugging his tiny wife to his side.

"Right, first we medicate (she points at Jasper and Alice) and then we eat breakfast. After that, we'll cut the bee comb from the roof of the hut and load it onto the travois we're going to make. We can use the tent and some sturdy branches. Alice, Bella and I will alternate dragging the load home." The girls nod agreeably. "You boys can carry the extra packs. Once that's done, we're going to look for a goat. There are some smaller hoof tracks along the beach. I'm pretty sure that means there are younger goats, perhaps with their mother. I _want_ the mother, understand?"

Jasper and I look at each other. He quirks a brow and throws me a look that says, "Y_ou're on your own with this one". _

"Um, Mom?"

"Yes, Edward?"

"Mom, are you sure about this – about the goat I mean? We have no idea where they are. Do you really want to get charged again?"

"We can follow the tracks on the sand and we can take some bait to attract them. We still have some moringa beans left from last night – we can use them. We can spend a few minutes collecting some appetizing vegetation to lure them in. If we can attract the mother, the babies might follow."

"How are we going to catch it? Alice says quietly. She is wary of being too close to the goats.

"If I can get close enough, I'm going to lasso it," Mom states matter-of-factly. "I was pretty good at it in my younger days," she adds proudly.

Bella's eyes widen and I have to hold back a splutter of negativity.

_Fucking hell. Dad's gonna kill us!_

"Jasper, I'm going to need a rope. Now let's get moving. The sun's up and I think we should head back home earlier than we planned if we can."

_Uh, yeah! With 100 pounds of bee comb and possibly a goat or two tethered to us, it would take us hours longer to reach home._ I shrug my shoulders at Jasper's inquiring gaze and move reluctantly to obey my mothers bidding.

…

"Jasper," I hear Bella say softly, "some of these splinter wounds are infected." She has unbound his hands to clean the wounds. I can see from my place a few feet away, that some of the punctures are swollen, and oozing blood and pus.

Bella dips a sterile cloth into the pan of water she'd heated and begins to clean Jasper's hands. He hisses and winces in pain.

"Sorry."

"It's okay, darlin', I'm the one who should be apologizing to you," he says. "I _am_ sorry," he says sincerely.

"I know." Bella takes a small squirt bottle of betadine from her first aid kit and unscrews the cap. "This might hurt," she warns as she squirts the brown, iodine-based antiseptic over the festering wounds.

Jasper draws in a hiss of breath and jerks his hands away. "Hold still, Jasper!" she barks at him. "I know it hurts, but it'll hurt a lot worse if you get gangrene." I've seen men with gangrenous wounds before – it's not a pretty sight. Most of them lost chunks of flesh, leaving behind huge holes where once there was sculpted muscle, or they lost fingers and toes.

Bella applies some absorbent pads to the punctures and wraps Jasper's hands in clean bandages. She hands him two painkillers and an antibiotic pill, before slipping a thermometer into his mouth. "You have a mild fever," she reports. "I want you to rest as much as possible this morning (he opens his mouth to object, but closes it again when Bella shoots him her death glare). I also want you to drink plenty of water. You can argue about it when we get home, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," he says with a crooked grin.

"Alice, here's your tea," Bella says as she closes up her kit and packs it away in her backpack."

…

An hour later we have eaten breakfast and taken down the sail tent. We use the branches that supported the structure to make a travois, tying the whole lot securely together with rope. We wrap the sail over and under the travois to make a bed for the bee comb and whatever else we might need to drag home. I test its strength. It seems sturdy enough.

Bella takes the large fishing knife Jasper gingerly hands her, and heads with Mom and Alice to the largest hut to start breaking down the comb. I roll my eyes and follow them dragging the travois behind me. Alice holds the flashlight as Mom and Bella detour to the open canoe shed for a log stump to stand on. They roll it on its side to the hut and I push it up the stone stairs using my foot for leverage.

Alice is staring at the huge mass hanging from the ceiling. The glow of the flashlight is trained on the thousands of tiny hexagonal cells that would, with any luck, produce enough pure beeswax for many, many candles. _It better be fucking worth it!_

"That's the biggest bee hive I've ever seen," she says. She looks up with awe as she walks around it and under it, ignoring where her feet are on the debris strewn floor.

"Just be careful, Alice," I warn her as I position the log on the outside of the hanging comb. "There's shit all over the floor and some of the comb might be loose. That ceiling doesn't look too secure to me, which may be why the bees abandoned the hive in the first place – if they thought it might collapse. The weight of that hive full of honey and bees must have been tremendous."

Bella goes to step onto the log with the knife in her hand and I pull her back. She looks at me inquiringly. "No, Bella. I'll cut the comb and you girls can hold it and lift it down."

"But your arm?" she protests.

I growl low in my chest so she won't hear it. "My arm's fine." I hold my hand out for the knife. She hesitates for a moment, then hands it to me by the handle. I slip the knife into my belt loops and step onto the log. Reaching up, I feel along the top seam of the comb. It is barely attached to the roof. A few good slashes at the thatching will have it coming down.

"Alice, stand behind me and shine the flashlight into the rafters so I can see where I'm cutting. Mom, Bella, are you ready?" They each stand one side of the wide edge of the comb and take hold of it with both hands.

"Ready," they say. I can see them tensing themselves.

"Okay, when it comes loose, a heavy load is going to settle into your hands. You have to be prepared for the weight, okay?

"Yes," the reply in unison. I look toward the door which has darkened as Jasper stands in the opening. "Move inside will you Jazz, I need the light." He does as I ask, but instead of stepping to the side out of the way, he stands behind Mom prepared to help her should she need it. I wish I could do the same for Bella.

_Fuck this shit!_

"Here goes," I warn them as I reach up with the knife and slash at the ancient thatch. It rips easily as though the thatch is the highest quality silk and the knife is a Japanese sword. "Here it comes!" I yell as the first piece of comb begins to fall.

"We've got it!" the girls sing. They laugh as they carefully carry their treasure over to the travois and lay it down.

It takes us nearly an hour to remove all of the comb. Most of it is easily removed, but some of the heavier pieces are attached to the rafters rather than the thatch and they are harder to shift. A piece breaks away at one point and falls onto Bella, hitting her right shoulder. She staggers and falls to the ground.

"Bella!" I scream as I leap off the log.

"I'm okay," she says as Jasper and I pull her to her feet. She hisses in discomfort and is rubbing both her shoulder and her knee.

"Let me see," I tell her.

"It's fine," she says, brushing away my concern.

"Let. Me. See." I growl letting her hear it this time. She glowers at me, but relents. I probe her shoulder carefully. She winces in pain, but I don't think the collar bone is fractured. "What's wrong with your knee?"

"I don't know; it hit something hard when I went down."

I reach out to Alice for the flashlight and she hands it to me. Shining it over the floor, I brush away the centuries of debris until I find the culprit for her injury. "Well, I'll be ..." I say.

"What? What did you find?" Bella demands.

"Well, Bella, your theory that the Polynesians might have traded with explorers is spot on," I remark, as I hold up a dull gold plate. It is at least 200 years old, if not older. Jasper carefully takes the plate from me between the sides of his hands. Bella looks disappointed that she didn't take if from me first.

"Looks Spanish to me," he comments, "maybe French."

"Jasper's a history buff," I whisper, to ease her glum mood.

"There might be more of it. We should check it out after we get the rest of the comb," he suggests.

"Alice, will you take Bella's place while we collect the last few pieces of comb?" She steps forward eagerly and I hand the flashlight to Bella. We quickly collect the rest of the comb, which is smaller as it's on the outside edge of the hive. Jasper has abandoned his protective post to roam around the floor looking for more treasure. I notice he finds a few more pieces, which he studies carefully before laying them onto the travois.

"Okay, that's it," I say with relief as I step off the log and rub my shoulder. "One hundred pounds, give or take, of bee comb." Bella grins and dances around on her toes. She winces slightly as her knee objects. My mouth tightens. I want to demand that she leave the comb here when we go home, but I know she will not. She'd have to have broken bones to be convinced to leave it behind.

She leans down to pick up the travois handles to pull our bounty from the hut. I shake my head at her stubbornness. "You take the left side and I'll take the right?" I offer. She accepts and together we maneuver our load out of the hut and down the stone steps. It is fucking heavy and I don't see how the girls will be able to drag this home, not when it weighs as much as they do. I figure, Bella and I may be able to drag it home together if she insists of taking it with us.

"How are we going for time?" Mom says as we squint into the sunlight. I check the dial of my watch.

"It's just after 10 am now. I want us gone by noon."

"Right, let's go lasso a goat," Mom says with a grin. My jaw aches as I grind my teeth together. I look around for Jasper's support but he is still inside the hut looking for more treasure. I would get no more help from him.

"Mom, are you serious about this goat business?" I try to dissuade her one last time.

"Yes, Edward, I'm dead serious." Her face is set in a determined mien.

I sigh and blow out a deep breath. "Mom, I'll make you a bargain." She looks at me with interest. "We try to capture a nanny-goat until 11.30. If we get one, that gives us time to halter the beast and calm it down for the hike home. If we don't get one, that gives us time to finish packing up before we head out. With the extra load, Mom, we'll be lucky to make it back to camp by dusk tonight."

Mom considers for a moment before holding out her hand to shake on it. "Agreed, Edward. Until 11.30, either way." We shake. "Thank you, son."

I nod reluctantly, then head into the jungle for some foliage appetizing to a _fucking_ goat! When I return ten minutes later, Mom has fashioned a lasso using Jasper's rope and is practicing on the girls who are jogging about so she has a moving target. She manages to lasso them two times out of every three. We might just have a chance if we could actually find the _fucking goats!_

"Let's go!" I yell, my patience almost at an end.

…

After an hour of stealthy creeping through the jungle and following what we believe are the goat tracks from earlier, we come upon Mom's coveted nanny-goat. She looks young, maybe a year or two old and she has two brown and white kids. She is gray and white in color with two short horns growing out of her head. Her udders are full of milk. She is at the edge of the jungle where it joins the beach, munching unsuspectingly on purslane and sea grapes while her kids suckle voraciously from her teats. I don't see the rest of the herd.

"There she is!" Mom whispers excitedly, "and look, there are her babies. I just knew there were young goats!" She creeps forward, halting suddenly when the mother lifts her head to look around. She may have heard something, but it doesn't stop her from chewing.

"God damned fucking garbage disposals," I mumble.

"Shhssh," Mom hisses at me. "Give the girls the foliage. You and Jasper go down to the beach and head her off if she makes a run for it," Mom orders.

"Um, Mom, Jasper isn't gonna be much help," I remind her. She looks surprised for a moment that she has forgotten his injuries, then shrugs. "Don't try to catch it or anything like that, just act like a cattle dog or something," she says.

'_Just act like a cattle dog,' _I parrot silently. Shit!

"C'mon, Jazz," I say as I grab his arm in disgust. We jog down to the beach and hide behind some rocks.

"Is your tail waggin' yet?" Jazz chortles.

"Fuck you, Jasper."

I can't see anything from our hiding spot, but I can hear Alice and Bella crooning to the goat. Alice starts singing in her lilting voice. "What the fuck is she doing?" I ask her husband.

"It's Brahms Lullaby," he says with a shrug.

"I know what it _fucking_ is you dipshit! Why is she _singing_ to the _fucking goat_?" I demand shrilly.

My patience has all but deserted me. The stress these three precious females have caused me since the early hours of this morning has taken its toll on my sanity. Service on board a submarine is a cake-walk compared to this shit! I squeeze the bridge of my nose, trying to relieve the pressure of the migraine headache I can feel stabbing me in the back of my right eye.

"Calm the fuck down, Edward, before you have a stroke and we need to drag you home on the travois!" Jasper growls at me.

I just glare at him and rub at my eyes. "Sorry," I mumble. That seems to be all I'm saying today and it isn't even lunchtime.

"You've gotta let it go, man," Jasper advises sagely. "They're gonna do what they want to do whether we like it or not. As long as it's not life threatening behavior, I say let them have at it. Don't forget we did the very same thing when we went after the chickens and the pigs."

"Yeah, I know," I say grudgingly. "We set a bad example and a precedent."

"Yep, we did, but at least their choice of grocery items is a mound of bee comb and goats. If they want candles and milk, let them have it if they can."

I open my mouth to respond, when I hear Mom make a rodeo war-cry.

"Yee-hah!" she shrieks, as first the nanny-goat and then Mom thunders out of the jungle and down the beach.

Jazz and I stand up and look over the top of the rocks we are hiding behind. If the sight of my 57 year old mother preparing to lasso a goat wasn't so ludicrous, I might howl with laughter. The goat is running in a zig-zag pattern as it tries to escape the mad woman swinging a lasso over her head.

"Yee-hah!" Mom yells as she lets the lasso fly. It hits the goat in the head, but slips away allowing the goat to flee.

Mom reels the rope in as she runs full pelt across the sand. The fine black grains fly out behind her heels.

"Head her off boys!" she screams to us as she swings the lasso again.

We run from behind the rocks, racing toward the goat. Jasper stomps around, waving his bandaged hands like a mummified lunatic as he herds the neighing she-devil back toward Mom.

Bella and Alice come flying down the beach sprinting after the two kids chasing after their mother. They are sure-footed and bleating incessantly as they gallop over the sand. The nanny-goat wheels around at the cries of her babies. She halts on the sand, her chest heaving as she neighs a cry of warning.

"Yee-hah!" Mom cries again. The rope lasso she is twirling over her head makes heavy whooshing sounds as it cuts through the air. I watch, as almost in slow motion, she lets fly with the lasso and it drops right over the goats head.

"Yes!" screams Mom as she pulls the rope tight and digs her heels into the sand.

"Whoo hoo!" cry Bella and Alice ecstatically as they dance triumphantly on the sand.

"Celebrate later, get the kids!" Mom barks at the girls.

They immediately wheel around and take off after the kids, charging past us like greased lightning. The girls box them in at the outcropping of rocks we hid behind. They are beginning to tire, both the girls and the kids, and I am ready to call a halt to the exercise. We have the mother – let that be enough.

"Come on, babies, come to Aunty Bella and Aunty Alice," Bella croons as they creep toward the baby goats.

"On the count of three," says Alice. "One … two … three … Go!" Bella and Alice catapult forward, skidding along the sand in a belly flop that must sting like hell on their exposed skin. They nail their prey like blood-thirsty predators.

"That _had_ to hurt," remarks Jasper.

"Yep."

"We got them! We got them!"

"Good work, girls!" congratulates Mom. She is grinning widely, when she is suddenly yanked off her feet as the she-devil makes a run for freedom, right down the center of the black sand beach.

"Mom!" Jazz and I yell in horror as we run after her.

"Get back here, Edward!" Bella screams at me, "if you fall and break your arm again, I'll bloody throttle you," she threatens. I ignore her of course and continue to race after Mom who is body surfing along the sand.

"Let go of the fricking rope!" orders Jasper.

"Noooo!" Mom's muffled yell comes back.

"Mom, let go of the stinking rope for Christs sake!" I beg her.

"NO! Edddwaaardddd, stop the goat!" she cries instead, as her body twists and turns along the sand.

"Oh, for the love of god," I huff as I pump my arms and legs toward Mom and the goat. I bend down toward her flailing body, preparing to yank the rope away, but she has twisted the cord around her hand.

Oh, fucking hell!

"GET_ the FUCKING GOAT_, Edward!" she snarls at me. My eyes widen – I have not heard my mother swear like this since the lava tube incident – but I reluctantly do as she says. "B-be c-careful," she hisses as she thumps along the sand, "Your a-arm ..."

Fuck my arm! I am more concerned with saving my mother for all of our sakes, but especially for my father. If she won't let go of the rope, then I _would_ stop the _fucking goat!_

I gain on the goat as it tires. It leaps over a large rock and my heart skips a beat. Oh God, if Mom hits that rock with her head or her chest, she'll be killed! I make a split second decision, ignoring the possible consequences as I reach down with my hand to grab the waving rope. I make contact, close my hand around the fibers and pull up sharply with all of my strength. Both Mom and the goat come to a sudden stop as I fall backwards onto my rump.

Game over.

Jasper and the girls arrive at the scene, Jazz running up to Mom. He rolls her body over with his bandaged hands. I see an expression of horror on his face.

"Mom. Mom. Momma! Are you okay, Momma?" He shakes her shoulders with his hands. "Momma!"

She coughs and splutters. "I-I'm (cough) okay (cough), Jasper," she gasps.

I scramble to my feet and run to their side, unwinding the rope from around Mom's hand and wrist. There are nasty rope burns, but I think she'll be okay - I haven't broken her arm.

"Don't let go, Ed," she implores me, "not after everything I went through."

I sigh. "I won't Mom. Can you stand?"

She coughs again. "Yes, I think so." Jasper hooks his forearms under Mom's armpits from behind and heaves her to her feet. She is unsteady, but remains standing.

"Oh, Esme," cries Bella as she arrives clutching a kid in her arms. It is bleating for its mother. "Are you okay?" Alice arrives a second later.

"Yes, sweetheart, I'll be fine. We did well didn't we?" she asks them.

Alice and Bella snort with laughter. "Yes we did!" they sing their own praises.

I pull the nanny-goat toward me. "I think we should head back to the village. I also _think_ we should consider staying another night," I suggest.

"Why?" asks Mom as she shakes the sand from her hair with a quivering hand.

"The only one of us not injured here, is Alice." We all look at her appraisingly. "She's 5 foot 2 inches tall and weighs 95 pounds," I emphasize unnecessarily. "We have 100 pounds of bee comb to drag home and three goats, one of which is proving difficult, _and_ both you and Bella are newly injured. Not to mention the utter exhaustion of all of us."

"Your father will go mad with worry if we don't return home tonight, Edward," Mom says as she chews on her lip in a mannerism similar to Bella's.

"She's right, Edward," agrees Jasper.

I sigh. I know they are right. Dad will head out on his own if we are not home within two hours of our estimated time of arrival. That is the leeway we agreed upon after our first hike to the fruit grove and following the lava tube incident.

"What about if we rest for one hour," suggests Alice, "then we can head on out. I'd really like to go home – I've had enough vacation," she pouts.

There is silence for a moment, then we all laugh. Trust Alice to tell it how it really is. "Yeah, the vay-kay is over," seconds Bella wearily.

I check my watch. It is 12.30. If we leave in one hour and take shorter rest stops along the way, we might – _might_ – make it home by 7.30 tonight, and it will be fully dark two hours before then. I relay the plan to the others. After a few moments of consideration, everyone agrees.

I'm gonna crawl into bed with Bella and sleep for a week when we get home, I decide.

We return to the fishing village, tying up the goats with some thick pliable vines. Alice and I make three head halters and a lead line with the rope, joining the halters closely together with a kid each side of the nanny-goat.

Bella hands out pain meds to everyone – we all need them – and antibiotic pills to Jasper. She gives one to Mom as well after examining her injuries. Mom has gravel rash in addition to the rope burn. There are weeping grazes over her forearms, knees and shin bones where her skin was exposed to the sharp particles of sand. Bella cleans the wounds, applies antiseptic and bandages her limbs. Thankfully, her face is unharmed.

Jasper and I groan. Dad is gonna blame us for this. He entrusted his wife, our mother into our capable hands and we let her get hurt.

Shit, shit, SHIT!

We hang our heads and walk off to take a piss before we leave – he needs help with his pants. How fucking ironic is that?

…

Seven hours later, we stagger into camp, three hours late and dropping with exhaustion. Bella and I have dragged her precious bee comb for seven endless hours, only stopping to rest for five minutes every half hour. We both have enormous, weeping blisters on our hands. Mom has herded the goats, keeping the she-devil happy with plenty to munch on. Every time we stopped for a break the kids would suckle from the mother, keeping them happy, and her udder from bursting. Alice and Jasper doubled up the packs so we wouldn't have to leave our supplies behind.

We look like something a grizzly bear tortured before giving up and throwing us away.

The camp is lit up like the forth of July. All of the oil torches have been lit and the cooking fire is burning brightly. We come to a halt in front of a frantically relieved Dad, Rosalie and Emmett.

I _think_ it's Emmett, but I'm not sure.

I cock my head to one side and stare at him through squinted eyes. I notice the others doing the same. I think he has been reborn as the Michelin Man.

Mom speaks up for all of us. "For goodness sake, Emmett, what in gods name _happened_ to you?"

…

A/N: The unwelcome discovery didn't happen in this chapter – it just got too long. I am moving it to chapter 22 – sorry about that.

Please review and let me know what you think – I have over 400 reviews between TWCS and fanfiction combined. Help me get it to 500.

Next in chapter 22: We find out what happened to Emmett. The family settles into the house and we find out about the unwelcome discovery – I promise – its pivotal to the next story arc so it has to happen, it's only the initial location that will change.

Photos on my blog at jkazziefancfiction dot wordpress dot com


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thanks to everyone for all of the wonderful reviews. Thank you to Chem who very nicely let me know I incorrectly referred to lye as an acid in an earlier chapter when it is actually an alkali. I have gone back and corrected it, so thanks. A few reviewers still have private messaging turned off, so I'm unable to respond to your reviews. Please know I appreciate the time everyone takes to write a review. They are all greatly appreciated.

Now, on with the show. Oh yeah, lemon alert in this chapter.

…

_**The Cullen's have returned home from the fishing village …**_

_We come to a halt in front of a frantically relieved Dad, Rosalie and Emmett._

_I _think_ it's Emmett, but I'm not sure. _

_I cock my head to one side and stare at him with squinted eyes. I notice the others doing the same. I think he has been reborn as the Michelin Man._

_Mom speaks up for all of us. "For goodness sake, Emmett, what in gods name _happened_ to you?"_

…

Chapter 22 – Busy Bees

Emmett looks like he wants to cry.

He sniffles, then lumbers toward Mom with his arms outstretched like some sort of grotesque art project modelled from play-doh. He really does look like the Michelin Man. His face and body are so swollen and misshapen that had I not known it was him, I might not have recognized my own brother. Mom disappears into the blubber as he embraces her, sobbing into her shoulder.

Mom glances wide-eyed at Dad and mouths, "_What happened?"_ as she pats her eldest child soothingly on the shoulder. "There, there, Emmy, it's gonna be alright. Momma's here now," she croons softly as she tries to rock him to and fro.

Dad and Rosalie are silent as they stare at us in unblinking astonishment. Mom eyes Dad and Rosalie furiously waiting for an explanation. "Will one of you _please_ tell me what _happened_ to my son?" she demands.

"Carlisle!" she barks impatiently when they fail to answer.

Dad snaps out of whatever trance he fell into when the five of us dragged into camp with three goats in tow and a bushel of bee comb, looking like inmates from day-release prison. Pandemonium breaks out as Dad finally acknowledges Mom's injuries, and he rushes forward to rescue her from Emmett's clutches.

"Let go of your mother, Emmett!" Dad snaps as he tries to pry Em's sausage like fingers from her clothes. The she-devil picks that moment to show her dislike of the current situation by kicking the nearest object in the shins … repeatedly.

"Aaaaghhhh. FUUUUCCCK!"

It was Dad.

He releases Mom, hopping around on one foot and rubbing his offended shin bone. Dad glowers at the she-devil as he pulls his pants leg up to inspect the damage. The skin isn't broken, but he has camel-toe imprints up and down his shin. They'd leave a nasty bruise.

"What the hell is going on?" yells Dad. "Where did these … these animals come from (he sneers at the she-devil) and why and how did your mother get injured?" Dad demands looking at me and Jasper expectantly.

A rabble of answers abound as we all try to answer Dad simultaneously.

"We found goats," (Alice); "We found bee comb, so we can make candles," (Bella); "We found goats," (mumbles Mom from Emmett's chest); "We found gold plates," (Jasper says as he holds up his treasure); "Um, Mom had a bit of a … (I gulp nervously) close encounter with the sand," I say. Dad narrows his eyes at me. He is not finished with me yet. The she-devil neighs evilly and kicks out again. Thankfully Dad is quicker this time and dodges her hind hooves.

"Quiet!" yells Rosalie. Sudden silence reigns and we all look at her, waiting, even the she-devil.

"Emmett, let go of your mother," Rose orders, pulling him away with difficulty. He is so swollen she can barely get her hands around his upper arm.

"Thank you, Rose," Mom says with relief when she can breath again. She rubs gently at her bandaged forearms, drawing Dad's eagle-eyed attention. She sees his look of inquiry, but ignores it as she asks about Emmett again.

Dad sighs as he draws Mom into his arms. He looks her over carefully, and sneakily takes a measure of the pulse in her wrist when he thinks no one is looking. Rose takes control of the goats and the she-devil tries to butt her in the legs with her short, sharp horns.

"Don't you _even_ think about it," Rosalie hisses, "or you'll be salami so quick (she snaps her fingers) you'll never get a chance to eat again!"

The she-devil listens. Huh.

"Carlisle, will you please tell me what happened to Emmett?" Mom asks desperately. Emmett is standing to the side resembling a weeping marshmallow. His mouth opens and sounds come out, but I can't make out what he's saying.

"I und uh fee ive und I syed da fet da uny, ut day tased e, und takt e."

We all blink at Emmett, trying to interpret this new language. "Huh?" I say, looking at Dad and Rose for the English translation.

Dad sighs again. "He said, _'I found a bee hive and I tried to get the honey, but they chased me and attacked me'_," Dad explains.

"Oh my god!" Mom screeches. "How many stung him?" she asks, tearing herself away from Dad to go to Emmett. She runs her hands over his arms and face making him wince each time she touches a sting site.

"Uh ot," says Emmett.

"A lot," translates Rosalie.

"Yes, I got that one," says Mom dryly. "Carlisle?"

Dad walks towards them, embracing Mom around the waist protectively. "I pulled 15 stingers out of him. Most of them where on his back, arms and legs, but two stung his face, on the cheeks," Dad relates. "He's not allergic and his breathing isn't obstructed, but he is miserable," Dad says with a slight snicker.

"Oh, Emmy," Mom coos sympathetically. "Did you at least get your honey?" she deadpans.

He nods enthusiastically. "Eah, I ot dis uch," he says holding his hands about a foot apart.

"He _means_, that he got the whole hive," Dad explains with a roll of his eyes. "He was running with it tucked under his arm like a football when the bees tackled him. Rosalie and I nearly had a heart attack."

"I ot ah da ay ack to amt efor day ot e," he says with a grotesque grin of triumph on his face. "Uch town," he crows.

"He says, he got all the way back to camp before they got him," Dad translates. Emmett waves at him to finish the translation. Dad rolls his eyes again, "Touch down!"

Jasper and I snigger.

"Are you sure he's okay, Carlisle?" Mom asks worriedly as she looks to Dad for reassurance.

"Yes, Maisy, he'll be fine. He's swollen as you can see; the sting sites are sore and he'll itch like mad in a few days time, but he'll survive. I gave him an antihistamine and some ibuprofen for pain," Dad relates.

Mom breathes a sigh of relief. "Good."

"I'm more interested in _what_ happened to you?" Dad demands. He looks from me to Jazz as Mom bites her lip and looks at the ground refusing to answer.

Jazz beats a hasty retreat to Em's side and pretends to engage him in unintelligible conversation, leaving me to explain to our father.

"Ahm, we … ah … we found some goats," I say.

"Obviously," says Dad with zero amusement.

"Ahm, they gave us a bit of trouble, and Mom followed her," I say pointing at the she-devil.

"Yes, and?" he insists impatiently.

"Mom fell on the sand," I admit, being liberal with the truth.

Dad quirks both brows. "Your mother got _that_," he hisses, pointing at her wrapped limbs, "from falling on the sand? I don't _think_ so. Try again," he growls with narrowed eyes.

I swallow and open my mouth. "Well, you see …"

Mom interrupts, taking pity on me. "I got dragged, Carlisle. I got dragged up the beach and I wouldn't let the goat go." Dad looks upon Mom with exasperation. Jasper, the wuss comes back now that Mom has confessed, saving our asses. He brings marshmallow man with him.

We explain the events of the day to him, Bella finishing with, "I cleaned and treated her wounds, Carlisle. She has rope burn on her right hand and wrist, and gravel rash from the sand. I gave her an antibiotic capsule. Oh, by the way, some of Jasper's wounds are infected," she imparts as she finishes her explanation of the treatment.

Dad listens carefully, nodding as Bella finishes, but his mouth is tight with fury as he glares at his wife … and us. "Right, I want to see all of you starting with Esme; then Jasper, Edward, Bella and Alice. Emmett, I want to see you again as well."

Mom heads for the medical tent as the rest of us walk in the direction of the sleeping hut or the kitchen area. Rosalie stands alone with the goats.

"Not that way," Dad calls, "into the house." Huh? "Rosalie, put the goats in the sleeping hut for the night and give them some food and water. We'll sort a pen out for them tomorrow."

"Oh, Carlisle, have we moved into the house?" Mom breathes excitedly as Rosalie drags the she-devil and her kids away.

"Yes. We moved us in this weekend, before Emmett's run in with the bees, that is. We wanted it to be a surprise," he pouts.

"Oh it is," Mom says, reaching up to kiss Dad on the mouth. "A wonderful surprise. Everything is working out just perfectly!" she says dreamily.

The others troop up the stone front stairs and into the lighted house while Bella and I drag the travois of bee comb over to the storage area and cover it securely with canvas. We weight the sides down with large stones to keep away the vermin overnight until we can deal with it properly tomorrow.

"I want to sleep for a week," Bella moans as she climbs the house steps wearily.

"I know," I agree, and then I smile widely. "Hey, we get to sleep in a _real_ bed," I remind her.

She groans and leans into me tiredly. "I can't wait," she says as we trudge into the living room of the house.

The rest of the family (except for Mom and Dad) are sitting tiredly on the collection of furniture we have constructed from bamboo and wood and then padded with cushions. The two sofa's from Victory are grouped in the living area with the footstool between them. The TV and media equipment are also in place, but remain silent. Rosalie walks in from the kitchen through the dining room and sits in one of the bamboo armchairs.

"Wow, this place looks fantastic," Bella compliments as she eases herself slowly onto a three seat sofa beside Emmett. She looks like a midget next to a giant. I sit down beside her, relaxing my aching back into the squashy cushions.

"So, quite the weekend, huh?" says Jasper from his seat opposite. He is sitting with his feet up on the large tufted footstool. Alice is beside him, already half asleep and sprawled along the other sofa.

I snort. "Yeah."

"We've got the hot water service working if you want showers," offers Rosalie. Alice's eyes pop open like she's just heard that Coco Chanel is coming for a visit.

Bella laughs as she watches Alice struggle to sit up. "You can go first, Alice."

She looks at the rest of us, begging permission. We all nod as Alice finds some stored energy and bounces to her feet eagerly. "Come on, Jasper, I'll wash your hair," she offers as she drags her husband from the room.

"There's an electric lamp just inside the door," yells Rosalie up the stairs after the disappearing couple.

"Found it," we hear back as the bathroom door closes.

…

Bella and I walk up the stairs to the second floor ready to sleep for a million hours. It is after 2 in the morning. It has taken Dad hours to treat Mom's injuries, Jasper's wounds and examine my arm for new damage. He let Alice go to bed when Jasper told him she was uninjured – just tired. Bella tried to get out of her exam as well. She might have succeeded except Dad noticed her favoring her right shoulder. He declared us both reasonably fit after treating our blisters, and Bella's shoulder simply bruised, not broken.

She has mixed up a paste while she waits, of ground moringa leaves for Emmett's bee stings, telling us it would help with the pain and the swelling. Rosalie takes him upstairs to apply it, saying goodnight as they left.

"We'll talk more tomorrow," Dad says wearily. "Why don't you two go on up to bed – I'll clean up in here," he tells Bella. She nods and sets down the bowl of soiled sponges and instruments. "You did well treating their injuries, Bella. I'm proud of you. You've made great progress."

Bella blushes self-consciously at Dad's praise. "Thanks," she responds shyly. She is still unaware of how good she is at first aid. I know that Dad will have her capable of surgery by the time we get off this island.

"Off you go."

"Night, Dad." I take Bella's hand to lead her from Dad's examination room.

"Night, son," he replies quietly. He is sitting with his head in his hands as I close the door behind me.

…

"I love our room," Bella says tiredly as she pulls the bedspread and some brightly covered cushions from the bed. She tosses them onto the floor before folding back the top sheet and the blankets. I look around me with interest.

Emmett and Dad have built us a large bed, big enough to hold two twin sized mattresses. The bed has a headboard of bamboo posts under a header rail, and there are two mismatched bedside tables on each side of the bed. One is from Victory, taken from the cabins, and one is cobbled together from bamboo and bits and pieces of salvaged materials.

The table from Victory holds an electric lamp, the only light source in the room. I know the electric lights are temporary. When the light globes finally burn out, we'd be on pure candle power – I recognize the sense of Bella's insistence that we bring back the bee comb. In the meantime, I thank goodness Mom insisted on using those new coiled globes that burn for 10,000 hours.

There is a picture hanging on the wall and blue curtains hanging from a bamboo pole at the window, taken from one of Victory's cabins. The french doors to the verandah are open to the cool nighttime breeze. There is a a rolled up bamboo blind above the door to keep the sun out, and a pot plant on the floor for some greenery. There are no drawers or a wardrobe for clothes as yet, but they'll come as we make them.

It's a nice room and more importantly, it has a nice big bed with four walls and a door that closes.

It is private!

Bella and I ease onto the bed, lying back blissfully against the padded mattresses after showering. Although we have been sleeping on them for months, it feels fantastic to be sleeping off the floor once again. We pull the joined top sheets and blankets up to our waists, snuggling our heads into the pillows.

Now I can make love to my girl properly – in a bed of our own – like she deserves. I turn my head toward her eagerly, getting a second burst of energy. "Do ya want to fool around?" I whisper.

Silence. "Bella?"

I lean up on my elbow to look at her. Her eyes are firmly closed and she is snoring softly. I smile, as love for this wonderful, intelligent, stubborn woman floods my heart. My beautiful princess is exhausted and sleeping deeply. I think she must have passed out as soon as she laid down. I pull the sheets and blankets gently around her shoulders, brushing the clean hair from her eyes. Rolling over, I turn out the lamp and snuggle down beside her, curling a chocolate lock around my fingers.

…

When I wake in the morning, the sun is high and shining brightly into our room through the open french doors. I have slept like the dead – the best I've slept in months since being marooned on Isabella Island. I stretch out my body, luxuriating in the comfortable bed before rolling onto my side.

Bella is awake and looking at me from her elevated position on a propped elbow.

"Good morning," she greets, as she bends her head to kiss me.

"Morning, sweetheart," I tell her as our lips part. "How did you sleep?"

"Like I've never slept before in my life," she tells me with a giggle.

"Yep, me too."

She lifts a finger to trace my mouth gently. "So, when I was falling asleep last night, I believe you asked a question?" she reminds me.

"You heard that?" I could have sworn she was asleep.

I must have said it out loud, because she answers. "Hmmm, I was about two seconds from total oblivion, but I heard you," she acknowledges as she snuggles against my chest. Her nipples harden and poke against me as she slips a leg over mine, wiggling her hips against me.

Oh ho! Eddies up!

She giggles and I realize again that I have voiced my thoughts. My brain to mouth filter is off this morning.

"Yes, _he is_," she says breathily, "so what are we gonna do about it?" I have slept naked. I think Bella was too tired last night to notice, but she realizes now as she slips her hand between us.

"Oh, I bet I can think of something," I tell her as I roll her over in the bed so she is on her back and I am between her clinging legs. I slip my hand under her sleeveless tank top as I bend to devour her mouth. Our lips separate just long enough for me to remove her top and throw it aside.

I roll us over again when I realize my broken arm makes it difficult to touch her and keep myself from crushing her tiny body. She accommodates me by crooking her head to the side so I can reach her neck, kissing and nuzzling my way across her collar bones (I stop briefly to kiss the darkening bruise) on my way to her plump breasts.

I take a pale pink nipple between my lips, sucking strongly against the pebbled nubbin. It hardens further and elongates in my mouth as I lave it with my tongue.

"Ohhh," she moans wiggling her hips against me. My dick is bobbing between her legs, looking for entry through her sleep shorts. She reaches down and takes me in hand, rubbing her thumb over the swelling head as she strokes me firmly.

I reach down and pull her shorts away from her hips. "Take them off," I say insistently. She rolls off me to pull them down her legs, tossing them aside to land with her discarded top. "Come back here," I demand as I grasp her around the waist and drag her over me.

"God, you are so beautiful," I tell her as I slip my fingers into the moist heat at the heart of her. I'd always thought she was a pretty girl with a sexy body when I first met her, but now I see the most gorgeous woman in the world whenever I look at her. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and she is beautiful inside and out. I could stare at her face forever. I have thought that before, but this time, I know it will hold true for eternity. One day, I will marry this woman and have lots of babies.

Shit! Where the fuck did that come from! I start to panic, panting heavily. I've never before felt the need to marry and procreate. My cock wanes in Bella's tiny hand as the shocking thought zings through me.

"What's wrong, baby?" Bella asks worriedly.

_'Stop panicking, you douche!' _I yell at myself internally. _'This is the woman you love. You just confessed it to yourself without thinking. It's a good thing.'_

I push the panic aside as Bella redoubles her efforts to arouse me. Her hand is wandering all over my junk, paying special attention to the head of my dick and my balls. God, her hands are like magic I think, and I groan.

"Nothing, baby," I assure her huskily. "Everything is very, very right." I pull her head down and kiss her deeply, sliding my tongue into her mouth. I kiss her with every bit of feeling in me, showing her how much I love her, even if I can't actually make myself say it right now.

Bella moans into my mouth, grinding down against me. She rubs her swollen clit against the hardness of my eager penis, transferring her moisture to the sensitive, tautened skin. She feels wonderful and so, so ready for me.

"Now, Edward, please? I don't want to wait any longer," she begs. I answer her plea by sliding inside her. "Ohhh," she breaths out. Her back arches and her eyes drift closed. She stills the motion of her hips for a moment, allowing her body to adjust to my invasion. She relaxes mere seconds later as I nudge inside her.

Planting my feet on the bed, I lift my knees to cradle her as I wrap my arm around her waist guiding her movements. We thrust against each other slowly at first and then more quickly as the frenzy of our climaxes builds within us. Her slender legs and shapely ass are slippery with the sheen of perspiration as her body slides against me.

Up and down, short strokes and deep ones, a twist of her hips, and mine. My groan answers her every moan as we race to completion. I am nearly there, but I refuse to succumb before Bella. I release her hip to press my thumb between her swollen folds looking for her tiny clit.

She is so wet.

I find what I seek and flick the tiny nerve center gently, increasing my thumbs movement in tandem with the motion of our hips.

"Aghh, ahhh, ahhh," she yells. I wonder briefly if the family can hear her, then don't give it another thought as her wet channel clenches around me. Then, she is cumming with a piercing scream of delicious agony. I let myself go, thrusting into her until moments later I am arching my back and releasing into her, stream after stream of hot cum. I collapse with exhaustion against the mattress taking Bella with me.

She giggles with delight a few minutes later as she lifts herself off me and rolls to the side. "Wow, that was fantastic – better than ever," she says with a grin.

I bark out a laugh. "Yeah, a proper bed makes all the difference," I agree with a smirk as I pull her into me. I kiss her lips, pulling the covers over her when she shivers from the breeze sweeping over her cooling skin.

We sleep again in each others arms, waking up an hour later.

…

We head down stairs for something to eat after showering together. Having hot water on tap is absolutely blissful – no more heating water and rinsing with the bucket after washing up in the cold outdoor shower.

The rest of the family is sitting at the new dining table surrounded by the upholstered, striped chairs from Victory's dining room. Breakfast is on the table and I wonder if Mom has used the new kitchen. I glance inquiringly at Dad as I nod towards the room, and he shakes his head negatively.

"Come and have some breakfast, you two," Mom invites wanly. She moves from her chair to collect some clean plates from the sideboard as well as the teapot. Dad tells her to sit down, and he gets up to do it for her. I notice Mom is moving slowly. I imagine the stiffness has set in from her injuries.

"Rosalie and Alice made breakfast," Dad tells us as he pours out cups of tea.

My eyes widen in alarm and Rosalie scowls as she pushes the platter and bowls of food toward me. Neither of the girls are the best cooks, barely able to boil water. I know Mom never lets them do anything without first giving them strict instructions.

"Thank you, Rosalie," says Bella as she scoops some fruit salad into a cereal bowl. "Do you want some, Edward?" I nod. There is no coconut custard like Mom or Bella would make, but the fruit looks appetizing.

Emmett is chewing carefully on an omelet. He can't seem to control his mouth due to the swelling. He is covered in dried, green gunk making him look like the Incredible Hulk. If anything, he looks worse than he was yesterday, but he seems more cheerful. He lifts a swollen arm and waves at us, grinning grotesquely.

"Thanks for the green paste, Bella," says Rose as she brings two more omelets to the table from a warming dish on the sideboard. I didn't know we had one, but I bet it came from Mom's enormous butler's pantry. She'd used the fit-out of Victory as an excuse to clean out her house. Alice and Rosalie did the same thing, unloading unwanted wedding gifts hidden in their attics.

"It seems to have helped," Bella comments as she scrutinizes Emmett.

"It has indeed," agrees Dad. "He's still swollen, but his pain has subsided." They discuss Emmett like he's a lab specimen.

Rosalie places a slice of coconut sponge cake before her green-skinned husband. He clumsily picks up a tiny milk jug with his fat fingers and tips it, pouring thick golden honey all over the top. I lick my lips covetously. When I glance up, Jasper and Dad are almost panting.

"Want some?" asks Rosalie teasingly.

We all nod eagerly, taking the offered plates. I drizzle honey across the top and fork a bite into my mouth. It is divine and I moan. Mom and the girls burst into laughter.

"What? It's good," I tell them in my own defense.

"So, Rose, tell us more about Emmett's theft of the honey," says Alice with amusement, as she sips her kava tea. She makes a face of dislike with each swallow.

Rose scoffs, but sits down with her own tea and cake to tell the story. "Well, Em went off yesterday afternoon to collect some more rocks. He'd found a new pathway you see."

Bella looks up with interest. "He was gone about 45 minutes, I think," Rose continues, and Dad nods his confirmation, "when we hear this god-awful war-cry."

Jazz and I snigger and look at Mom, who reddens. Dad looks on with interest – we hadn't told him that part of the story.

"He screamed so loudly, he scared the birds out of the trees," recounts Rosalie, laughing. "Carlisle and I nearly died of fright. We thought something had happened to him."

"It had!" I snicker.

"Not yet," argued Rose. "At this point of the game, he'd simply gotten his hands on the hive, having coaxed the bees away with some smoke."

"How did you find all this out?" interjects Mom. "He can barely speak English."

Dad snorted. "His gibberish starts to make sense after a while," he remarks making Emmett scowl.

Rose continues with her story. "Apparently, he was only trying to extract one or two pieces of the honey comb, but the whole nest broke away from the tree. Right about then, the bees noticed their home being absconded and turned on him. Em took off with the hive tucked under his arm screaming like a banshee." Rose smiles, and leans forward to kiss her husband's swollen lips while the rest of us are laughing.

"Carlisle and I run in the direction of his screaming, and Em nearly barrels us down as he barrels along with a swarm of angry bees behind him. Our eyes were bugging out of our heads – in shock or horror, I can't remember – and we turned tail and ran after him … them. All I could see was Em swatting the bees away with one arm because he wouldn't let go of the honey comb," she tells us.

Emmett is blushing under the green. Jasper is laughing so hard, he's clutching at this stomach.

Dad continues the story. "By the time we caught up with him, Emmett was back in camp, sprawled on the the ground with the honey comb under him. Bees are buzzing all around him, and he's yelling, _"Get away, it's mine. You've had it long enough!" _Dad says, mimicking Emmett's voice with uncanny accuracy. Mom is crying tears of laughter into her tea cup.

"Oh," she eventually pants as she regains her senses and her breath. "How did you get the bees off him?"

Dad rubs Mom's back to ease her breathing. "I picked up a dead branch and lit it from the cooking fire. It produced enough smoke to get most of the bees off him and we swatted the rest of them away. We got him into the house with the mashed comb clinging to his shirt and honey dripping all down the front of him."

"Ugh, he was a mess," Rose remembers, "and swelling up where ever they'd stung him, but he wouldn't release _his_ honey comb," she says with a laugh. "Carlisle had to pry it from him so he could treat the stings."

"Where are the bees now?" Bella asks, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Gone," replies Rosalie. "I watched them fly away, back in the direction they came from. You know what? They chased him for a quarter of a mile."

"As long as they're not in the house," says Mom with a shudder, remembering where we found our own stash of comb.

…

Dad orders three days of rest and recreation with only light duties for everyone.

Bella and I use that time wisely, making love frequently before her ovulation cycle begins and we need to abstain for seven days. Penetrative sex might be off the agenda, but there are other things we can do, and I whisper all manner of titillating ideas in Bella's ears. She blushes, but doesn't veto any of my suggestions.

…

"Hi, Mom," I greet her as she works at the outside table. I kiss her cheek, then sit down beside her. Her gravel rash has scabbed over nicely.

"How are you, Edward?"

"I'm fine, Mom, fantastic in fact," I tell her happily. It's amazing what regular sex can do for a mans outlook and demeanor.

A smile skirts around her mouth. "And Bella, how is she? I haven't seen much of her these last few days."

"Ahm, she's good, Mom, just a bit tired."

Mom quirks a knowing brow my way. "I just bet she is."

My eyes widen. "Mom, can you guys hear us?" I ask her, appalled.

"What do you think, Edward? You're not exactly quiet, either of you."

I groan and face plant into my hands. Bella will be mortified when I tell her.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Edward. Your brothers and their wives aren't quiet either."

I look up frowning. "I haven't heard them."

"Yes, well, you've been too busy. Believe me, with the amount of sex going on in this house, I hope those bed frames are sturdy." Mom smirks at my stunned expression.

I blush and stare at the table. Mom laughs softly and clips away at the frayed bristles of the family toothbrushes. She is using a pair of nail clippers. They look like Emmett's. I grimace in distaste and throw up a little in my mouth – he was grooming his fingernails with them last week. For all I know he clipped his toe nails as well. I swallow the acid.

"Mom, are those Emmett's nail clippers?" I squeak out.

"Don't worry, dear," she says, clipping rapidly, "I boiled them first."

_Thank god for small mercy's._

…

"Edward, Jasper?" Emmett calls from the side verandah.

I look up from my place by the stream where we are adjusting the manual bilge pump. Em's ability to speak English returned this morning following three days of green poultices. He is still puffy in places where he scratches madly, but he looks more like the brother I remember and less like a grotesque monster.

"Yeah?" Jazz and I call back. We finish tightening the hose line and stand up, brushing off our hands. Jazz's infection has subsided and his hands are no longer bandaged, allowing him free movement.

"Come with me to get the rocks I abandoned the other day?"

"Are those the ones he sacrificed for honey comb instead?" Jasper asks me.

"Yeah, probably. I hope the bees haven't returned to the scene of the crime."

Jazz snorts and nods his head in agreement.

"Yeah, okay," I yell back. "We'll be right there."

…

"We have a problem," announces Rosalie at dinner over a meal of iguana-chicken and veggie stew served with with mashed potatoes.

The spuds are mixed with cream and butter donated by the she-devil. Rose is the only one who can get near her. Mom showed her how to clean the udder and teats, and how to milk her. We're getting about a gallon per day of rich milk, enough for drinking, cooking, cream and butter. Dad made us pasteurize it first to kill the bacteria. Cheese making is next, then ice-cream and yoghurt.

"What's up Rose?" Dad asks.

"The antenna mast is 70 feet tall."

"Yeah, so?" mumbles Emmett.

"We only have 75 feet of cable."

"Yeah, so … oh!" Emmett finally realizes.

"Yes, we need more cable," Rose confirms. There must be more on Victory. Are you sure you stripped out all of it?" she inquires of me.

"I think so. Dad, you and Jasper did the cable stripping. Do you think you could have missed some?"

"We might have if there was more of it in the ceiling or hidden in the walls."

"Why don't we check it out tomorrow?" suggests Jasper.

…

"How's the wax rendering going, ladies?" asks Dad over dessert of mountain apple cobbler. Mom crumbled up the remainder of the stale, coconut sponge cake to make a topping. My portion is swimming in cream. I'm in heaven.

"It's going well," Mom tells him. "Thank goodness Bella and Rose know what they're doing. I'm learning so much. It's going to take us forever to render down 100 pounds of comb into useable wax."

"It's certainly messy, isn't it?" comments Bella as she spoons dessert into her mouth, then passes me her leftovers. I beam at her. What a woman!

"Yes it is," replies Mom with a laugh, "but so rewarding."

"How much wax will we get do you think?" asks Jasper. He receives Alice's leftover dessert as well. He kisses her cream-coated lips in thanks. Emmett looks at Rose expectantly. She cocks a brow, pours cream over the top, which Emmett hates, and eats every bite, leaving him with nothing. He pouts.

"We're not entirely sure, but based on what we've already rendered, we think we'll get about four pounds of pure beeswax out of 100 pounds of comb," Rose says.

"Four pounds!" I gasp. "Is that all? We dragged 100 pounds of comb for seven hours for only four pounds of wax?"

"Yes, _we_ did," confirms Bella without apology. "Four pounds of wax will make a lot of candles. It will also stabilize the lotions I've been making." Everyone stares at her. "Oops! Ahm, it was supposed to be a surprise," she says with a self-conscious shrug of both shoulders.

"I thought you were only trying to make candles from coconut oil?" asks Mom with surprise.

"Ahm, yeah, but I've been trying out lotions as well. They haven't worked out so well either."

Alice is bouncing in her chair with excitement at the thought of lotion for her skin. She rubs her arms with unconscious thought, feeling for dryness. "Ooh, can I help?"

"Of course, Alice. We can make a batch tomorrow. Hopefully with the addition of some beeswax, it won't curdle."

Bella sneaks the curing soap bars into the house that night and away from the outside cooking area. I help her lay them out on the floor of our bedroom so they can continue to dry – they are hardening up nicely. With the cooking range nearing completion, it won't be long before Mom and Bella are moving into the new stone kitchen. Bella doesn't want Mom finding the soap by accident. They still didn't have a clue about the range.

…

"Bella - Dad and I are heading to Victory to look for the rest of the antenna cable. Do you and Alice want to come?" They have mixed up a batch of lotion, adding some precious beeswax. They seem happy with the results as they pour it into plastic bottles.

"Yes, we can do some sunbathing while you look," replies Alice.

"Give us a minute?" Bella asks with a kiss. I nod and the girls head into the house for their swimsuits and towels.

…

Dad and I climb the rope ladder onto Victory's deck, Dad helping me over at the top. Climbing a ladder using only one hand has taken three times as long as it normally would have. I leave the powerful, marine binoculars on deck, keeping the flashlight and tools with me. Following one final glance at the girls who are lying on the beach, Dad and I head downstairs into the gutted lounge.

We pull some of the ceiling panels down laying them against the wall. Dad shines the flashlight into the cavity, arcing it around.

"Can you see anything?" I ask him.

"No. Let's take down some more panels."

"Still nothing," he says after the second look.

"Let's try the wall where the media equipment was stored," I suggest as I walk over. I shine the flashlight into the dimness looking for the connection I know must be here somewhere.

"I see it. The connection plate's missing, but the wall panel's still here, so there's probably more cable behind it. Can you pass me that screwdriver?" Dad hands me the Phillips head tool, so I can remove the screws holding the panel in place. He helps me lift it down.

"Yep, there it is," I say to Dad as we shine our flashlights into the exposed wall cavity. The black cable is coiling its way along the wall and up into the ceiling leading out of the lounge. We remove the clips holding it in place and Dad gives it a yank.

"It's stuck."

"Yeah, there's probably more clips holding it in place. Let's go next door and see if we can find it."

We spend thirty minutes tracing the cable through the ceiling of the dining room and some of the cabins, removing clips as we find them. We eventually track it all the way to the deck where the antenna mast used to stand.

"Looks like we missed about 50 feet of cable," I comment. Dad nods and apologizes for his mistake. "Don't worry about it, Dad, it's only cable. Let's go up on deck. It's still not budging so there must be more clips."

We are blinded by the bright noon sun as we step onto the deck. We blink rapidly, squinting as our eyes adjust. I glance toward the beach to check on the girls. They are paddling in the water up to their waists. They see us and wave. We wave back and I look out over the ocean. It is empty as usual.

"How are Jasper and Emmett going with the cooking range?" Dad asks me as we move a loose deck board to shine the flashlight below.

"Nearly finished, now Emmett has his rocks back," I tell him with a crooked grin.

"Ah yes, the honey won out."

"Um, Dad?"

"Hmmm?"

"Dad, I just want to tell you how sorry I am about Mom – her getting injured I mean." I fidget nervously with some tools waiting for his response.

Dad considers for a moment. "Son, it's not your fault. I was angry at first. I entrusted your mothers safety into your and Jasper's capable, though injured hands, and you brought her home damaged."

I pale in reaction to Dad's words, but he claps me on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Son, I've been married to your mother for 35 years. Nothing stops her when she wants something – I know that better than anyone. I don't hold you boys responsible. If anything, your mother says she'd do it again in a heartbeat. She said it was fun," he relates with a chuckle.

"Well in hindsight, it _was_ funny," I admit, exhaling a relieved sigh. "Did Mom tell you about her rodeo war-cry?"

Dad quirks both brows with interest. "No, _she_ didn't. Do tell, Edward."

I launch into the story of Mom chasing down the she-devil while we find the rest of the cable. We eventually release it, testing it for free movement before standing up. Dad is chuckling as I imitate Mom's _'Yee-hah'_.

Dad is coiling the cable on deck, when we hear the excited screams of Bella and Alice. I look toward them. They are jumping up and down, waving their arms, but not at us. No, they are try to signal the boat they can see in the distance.

"Fuck me, there's a boat!" I gasp excitedly, dropping my tools.

I run back to where I left the binoculars and pick them up, training them on the boat in the distance. The binoculars are military issue with a range of around 1600 yards – nearly 1 mile. The superior quality was worth the extra money at around $3,000 per pair. We'd _had_ two of them. Now we had one – this pair had been on one of the life raft dinghies.

Dad ran up to me. "What do you see?"

"It's a boat alright, a big one. It looks to be about 130 feet long, nearly twice the size of Victory."

"What are they doing?"

"Just sitting out there. I can't see anyone on deck."

I pan the binoculars slowly from bow to stern. It is sleek and modern, and very expensive. I can just make out the name on the side of her bow. It says … M.O.R.T.E. II. Swallowing nervously, I lower the glasses. _Morte the 2__nd_. Portuguese for death. I'd learned that from one of my fellow lieutenants. It says death on it's bow!

"Fucking hell," I breath as I lift the glasses to my eyes once again.

"What? What _is it_, Edward?" Dad yells insistently. I can hear the girls screaming on the beach. They are alternately calling for us and yelling to attract the attention of the boat.

"Edward!"

"Just a minute, Dad!" I hiss at him.

I scan the boat, looking for evidence that I don't _want_ to find. Unfortunately, it is staring at me in the face. There are two military issue rubber speedboats anchored above the deck and two machine gun turrets. However, the MORTE is _not_ a military ship.

I see movement from the wheel deck. A man has walked out and is lifting his own binoculars to his face. He pans wide over Isabella Island. He seems to skip past Victory, but comes back with unerring accuracy. I watch him adjust his glasses. He has seen our boat, but he has not yet seen the girls. I think I recognize him as I try to focus so far into the distance.

Recognition dawns. "Jimmy." I snarl.

"What?"

_Fuck! Bella … and Alice. _My heart almost stops.

"Fucking hell! Dad, get the girls off the beach, hurry!" I yell at him desperately.

"Why, Edward? What's wrong? For gods sake, tell me!" he says, shaking my shoulders.

I gulp. "Pirates. It's the pirate ship. They can't find us here, Dad. You have to get the girls off the beach. The pirates have seen Victory, but they haven't seen Bella and Alice yet. Go. Hurry!"

Dad pales and dives over the side of Victory and onto the ladder. He moves quickly for a man more than twice my age. Dad sprints towards the girls as I train my glasses on the ship again. I duck behind my own wheel house so I won't be seen. Jimmy is looking with interest at the mangled remains of Victory. An evil, satisfied smirk crosses his face.

I quickly look for Dad. He has reached Bella and is pulling her away from the beach and into the trees, but Alice is nowhere to be seen.

_Shit, where is she?_

I look frantically about, shading my eyes with my arm as I scan the beach. _There she is._ I see her running up the beach towards the signal fire.

_Oh, Christ. If she reaches the fire and lights it, the pirates will know we survived and are here on this island._

I drop the glasses onto the deck and stand at the open edge of the deck, out of view of the pirates. Bending my knees, I tuck my arm against my belly and jump. If I break it again, well bad luck. I have to get to Alice before she lights that fire. I drop 14 feet and land safely, immediately tucking into a roll and then into an upright position as I come smoothly out of it. I sprint up the beach, racing to intercept Alice, but I know I will be too late. She is already clambering up the rocks and reaching for the stash of matches.

"Alice!" I scream. My voice is carried away on the wind.

"Alice, don't!" I scream again. She sees me and waves, holding up the matches with a grin. I wave my arms at her, but she'd doesn't seem to understand.

"Alice! Alice!" I watch as she kneels and lights a match, cupping the flame with her hand. She lights a dry coconut husk and throws it into the fire. Smoke rises up ominously as I run. I give up calling to her. Now, I am focused only on putting the fire out before the smoke is noticed. I reach the rock and climb it like I am the she-devil personified.

"Edward! Edward! There's a boat, a boat," cries Alice as I reach the top.

I ignore her and kick at the burning wood, sending it tumbling off the rock. It falls onto the sand and into the water. The smoke dissipates as the flames extinguish.

"What are you doing?" screeches Alice as she tries to stop me. She is almost in tears.

Turning toward her, I clasp her shoulders and shake her gently. I try to catch her attention, but she is almost hysterical.

"Alice!"

"Why, Edward? Why would you do that?" she sobs. I pull her into me, against my chest, stroking my hand over her silky hair.

"Alice, honey, the boat belongs to the pirates. We don't want them here, Ally, they're dangerous."

She startles and eyes the distant boat in fear. "Pirates?" she whispers.

"Yes. I saw them with the binoculars. They spotted Victory. I just hope they didn't see you or Bella … or the smoke," I add, staring at the remnants of the signal fire.

"Oh! Oh, god, Edward, I didn't know. I'm so sorry," she says, hysteria building in her voice again.

"It's okay, Alice, you couldn't have. You were just following the plan. Right now though, I want you to climb off the rock, okay? I want you to stay to the edge of these rocks as you head toward the trees. I don't want you out in the open. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she whimpers. I help her down and follow, sending Alice off into the trees. "Go back to camp and stay there," I tell her before she goes. She nods and scrambles away.

Crouching low, I run back to Victory to get the binoculars. If the pirates came into shore to explore, they'd take the binoculars and we need them. They'd also see that we'd gutted Victory, and were therefore still alive. They'd come looking for us. They'd find our camp. I didn't want to imagine what they might do to us, especially to Mom and the girls.

I shudder. What I wouldn't give for my Glock right now.

_'Please God, please God,' _I chant silently._ 'Don't let them come ashore.'_

Arriving at Victory, I skirt around her bow and over to the rope ladder. The pirate ship hasn't moved from her previous position I notice. They haven't launched one of the high powered speed boats from her deck either. Looking behind me, Dad and Bella are hiding amongst the trees. Bella is frightened and I want to go to her, but I can't. I have a job to do. I hold a hand up at them in a 'staying' motion and begin to climb the ladder.

Climbing the ladder takes as long as it did before, except this time I don't have Dad to help me over the side. There is nothing I can do about it, so I keep going, glancing at the pirate ship occasionally until I eventually pull myself onto the deck. I can see the binoculars right where I left them by the coiled antenna cable. I decide to stay low and shimmy across the remaining deck boards. Grabbing both items, I shimmy over to the other side and throw the glasses and the cable onto the sand. Standing up, I quickly tuck my arms, drop and roll, landing on my feet once again. Picking up the precious glasses and the cable, I fall into a low crouch once again and run up the beach into the trees.

"You okay, Edward?" asks Dad worriedly.

I nod and rasp, "Yes." Grabbing Bella, I hold her against me. She clings to me tightly and shivers in fear. "Let's get back to camp. We need to get Jasper and Emmett. I want us watching that boat until it leaves. Did you see Alice?" I ask them.

Bella shakes her head against my chest.

"I did," says Dad. "I saw her running through the trees toward camp."

"Good. Let's go. I hand Dad the binoculars and slip the coiled cable up my arm and over my shoulder. Grabbing Bella's hand, we head back to camp. I look back one last time. The boat hasn't moved, but I notice Alice and Bella's bright beach towels are blowing in the wind. I close my eyes and pray they aren't seen.

…

We run into camp ten minutes later. The family is waiting for us having been filled in by Alice.

"Put those fires out," I order as I throw the cable onto the outside table. Jasper and Emmett jump to do my bidding.

"Is it true, Edward? Is there a boat? Pirates?" Mom asks apprehensively.

Dad goes to her and clasps her shoulders. "Yes, Maisy, it's true. Edward confirmed they're the same pirates who boarded Victory and robbed as more than three months ago."

"Oh, dear," she says wringing her hands.

"Jasper, Emmett, Dad – get some supplies. We're going back to the beach. We're going to watch that boat to see what she does. Hopefully they've only seen Victory and not the girls, giving them no interest in this island."

"Alright," they agree in unison.

"Mom, Bella, Alice, Rose – I want you to stay in camp. _Don't _wander away for any reason, do you understand?" They nod frantically as fear rises in their chests and their brains. "And no fires for _any_ reason until _I_ say it's safe. You can keep one light on in the house when it gets dark, but keep the blinds closed, okay?"

"Yes," they whimper.

They are strong women, all of them, but even they know the danger we are all in if those pirates come ashore to investigate. They will, with certainty, find our camp and all that we've built. They will most likely kill me, Dad and my brothers, and imprison the women. Their lives would no longer be worth living. I don't need to spell it out to them.

…

We watch the MORTE for two days and two nights. On the third morning, she lifts her anchors and motors away. The pirates did not come ashore, but I watched them watching Victory for any signs of movement. There are three pirates on board – the man called Jimmy, the other pirate whose name I think is Larry and a red-headed woman. I figure this is the Vivi we heard about last time, but didn't see. There is no one else on board as far as I can tell, and no other boats came nearby. They seem to be waiting for something … or someone.

We watched them all afternoon, and when darkness came that first night, I ran onto the beach to pick up the beach towels that were caught on the rocks where the wind had blown them. I dashed back to where the girls had set up their sunbathing gear and picked up Bella's red flip flops and Alice's yellow t-shirt.

We took turns on watch – two of us at a time, while the other two slept. Changeover in six hours and then repeat. Jasper ran back to camp at first light for some food and to check on the women. Nothing had happened during the night, he reported, but none of them slept very well either. They'd huddled together in Mom and Dad's bed all night.

Jasper and I took turns watching the MORTE through the binoculars. Every hour, one of us would walk adjacent to the beach amongst the trees and study the pirate ship from different positions. Nothing changed. It was a waiting game.

The second night was a repeat of the first. At daybreak I woke Dad and Emmett and the four of us watched the MORTE motor away. She headed away from the island in a southerly direction, but that doesn't mean she won't head around the island for a look-see and come back from the other direction.

"We need to be vigilant," I tell the my father and brothers. "I don't trust them not to double back. Keep close to camp as much as possible and let's keep the fires to a minimum for the next few days – cooking only."

"Why do you think they were here, Edward?" Emmett asks uneasily. He has been stoic the past two days and nights, but wants to return to his wife and unborn child. We all feel the same. I would not relax until I had Bella back in my sights and secure in my arms.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's an accident. No boat sits for two days and nights off an island like this one unless they're a pleasure boat or a cruise ship. I think they were waiting for something," I tell them my working theory. "Spotting Victory just happened to be something interesting for them to look at, and wonder about. I just hope they don't get too curious and come back."

We wait another hour, then head back to camp when there is no sign that the MORTE is returning. Our women run up to us when we jog into camp. I take Bella into my arms as my father and brothers do the same with their wives.

"Thank goodness you're back," Bella says as she searches my face. "Are they gone?"

"Yes, for now." Bella shivers in my arms. "Let's all go inside," I say when the reunion is over. We go into the the living room for our family discussion. I sit down on the sofa and pull Bella onto my lap. I need to be close to her.

We warn the women about wandering too far from camp and about the fires. Mom and Bella agree to limit their use of the fire to early morning before it is fully light, and in the evenings after it is dark.

"We have enough food supplies for a week," Jasper says. "There should be no reason for any of us to travel too far from camp."

"I agree."

"What about fishing?" Dad says.

"No, stay away from the beaches!" I order emphatically.

"There's plenty in the freezer," Mom replies, easing my worry. With pirates about, I will be glad when the kitchen is finished so we can move the appliances into the house. I consider making the decision, but decide to wait to speak to Emmett and Jasper.

"We'll check the beach in pairs four times per day," I tell my father and brothers. "If we see any sign of the pirate ship or if anyone other than us has been on the beach, return to camp immediately and report in. If they do come back and they're close by, whatever you do, don't draw attention and don't take them on by yourselves."

We all sit quietly as everyone considers my orders. They ask a few questions, but otherwise, my instructions are clear and understood.

"Why don't you all shower and get some sleep?" Mom suggests gently, as we rub our faces tiredly. Two days worth of beard growth adorn our cheeks and neck. "We'll feed the animals, then come back inside," Mom adds.

…

I take my turn in the shower, luxuriating under the pounding hot water. All I need is a bar of soap to make my shower perfect. I'm tempted to filch one from the drying stash in our bedroom, but I don't. Lye might still be present in unsafe quantities. The soap won't be entirely safe to use until it's properly cured.

"Edward?" Bella calls quietly as she enters the bathroom and closes the door. "I brought you some sleep shorts," she says.

"Thanks, baby. I'll be out in a minute." I sigh tiredly and hear the door snip closed behind Bella as she gives me some privacy. I finish up and step out of the shower stall, picking up a clean towel from the folded stack on the shelves Emmett had made. I dry myself off and wrap the towel round my hips reaching for my toothbrush. The sight of the clipped bristles make me chuckle as I consider what we are reduced to. My chuckling ceases abruptly. Making a fist, I pound the counter top in fury.

_Those fucking pirates did this to us! _

_And now they're back to finish the job? _

_No fucking way!_

_No! Not this time._

Gritting my teeth to control my temper, I carefully shave using a disposable razor. Shaving without lather is a bitch, but what choice did we have. God only knows what we'd use once the razors were blunt and all, but useless. Throwing down the hygiene tool, I wipe my face and look at myself in the steamy mirror. My hair is shaggy and unkempt – it needs a cut I decide as I finger comb it back from my face. Maybe I'll ask Bella to do it tomorrow.

Sighing tiredly, I blot at the few nicks on my neck, and pick up my toothbrush again. Twirling it between my fingers, I wonder if we've had it too easy. Maybe the pirates turning up, is Fate's way of kicking us in the pants. I ponder my theory as I clean my teeth with the shortened bristles.

Bella is waiting for me when I reach our room. She has drawn the curtains against the sun and folded back the sheet and blankets. I crawl in, sighing against the pillows.

"Join me?" I mumble tiredly. I hear her clothes ruffling as she removes them.

"Sleep," she says as she settle in beside me. I rest my head on her breasts and let myself relax as she strokes my hair away from my forehead.

"Your hair needs cutting," she observes softly.

I smile. "Hmmm, tomorrow."

I sleep.

…

AN: Photos are on my blog at jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com.

Bee stings: My research on a medical website tells me that unless some one is allergic to bees, they are miserable, but are unlikely to die from multiple bee stings as long as their breathing is not obstructed. An antihistamine, a painkiller and some ice on the swelling are acceptable home remedies. There is no antivenom for bee stings. According to my research, moringa paste applied as a poultice does help with the swelling.

Coco Chanel reference – Alice's inspiration for all things fashion: Coco Chanel is the French fashion icon of the 20th century – think Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. Just about every woman in the world, including me, wants a little black Chanel suit or dress. They cost thousands of dollars but will last for decades without going out of fashion.

Salami: Is a cured, dried sausage made from pork. In some early European cultures, poorer regional people used goat as well as pork and sometimes other meats to make salami. Today, goat is not used in commercially produced salami.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Sorry this is a little late – I had a busy weekend and then was traveling on Sunday. Enjoy.

…

Chapter 23 – We meet again, Red

When I wake up, it is the middle of the night and the house is silent. Bella is lying beside me snuggled into my side and snuffling gently. She makes the cutest sounds when she sleeps.

Reaching out beside me, I shuffle around on the bedside table looking for my watch. Squinting at the green dial, I note the time as 0200 – 2 a.m. Flopping back against the pillows, I rub my face and realize I have slept for fifteen hours straight since going to bed with Bella yesterday morning. Gently, so as not to wake her, I ease my arm out from under her shoulders and rest her head on a pillow. She whimpers in objection, rolls over and then stills, falling back into a deep slumber.

Easing from the bed, I pull the covers over her and reach for my navy issue sweats and t-shirt. Making a brief stop in the bathroom to take care of business, I head quietly downstairs to the living room. Making my way carefully through the pitch dark room, I turn on one of the electric lamps resting on a side table. It shines a dim glow over the room, highlighting the books stacked on the shelves by the fireplace.

It looks like Mom or Bella has opened up the library I think as I wander over. They look good on display, the way they're supposed to. Most of the books from Victory had been packed away to protect them from the elements unless someone was actually reading. Standing in front of the eclectic selection of reading material, I brush my fingers across the spines looking for something absorbing to pass the time until morning. My sleep had been plagued by dreams of pirates, though I couldn't remember the details, and I sought something lighthearted and distracting.

Like much of Victory's other accoutrements, many of the books have been donated by family members, including a number of volumes from my own personal library. Chuckling quietly, I pull Volume 1 of the 15th edition of the New Encyclopedia Britannica from the shelves. The set of 32 volumes were my reference books of choice my senior year at high school.

I'd read a while ago that the publisher was ceasing the printed editions in favor of digital. It's a shame I think sadly, as I open the heavy tome and lift it to my face to smell the pages. Inhaling deeply, the scent of information wafts into my nostrils bringing back memories of all night study sessions. There is something truly inspiring about the smell of the printed word to a reader. I will miss books when the day comes, as I know it will, when there are no longer printed editions.

Flipping the pages, I wonder how much of the information within them has been superseded since I last used them over 10 years ago. Sighing, I close the book with a snap and return it to the shelf, looking for something more engaging. The shelves are full of fiction and non-fiction books ranging from the Twilight series (Alice's contribution) to all seven Harry Potter's (Emmett), biographies and survival guides (Jasper), a dictionary, the English and American classics spanning more than 200 years, and a wide selection of contemporary adult novels.

I select a childhood favorite and place it on the sofa before heading into the dining room for something to drink and a snack to eat – I'm starving. Finding a thermos of tea, I pour myself a mug and select some fruit from the bowl beside it. Returning to the sofa, I settle down with _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_ and his friend Tom Sawyer.

…

It is nearing 4 a.m. when I hear movement above, and then footsteps on the stairs as one of my family members comes down to join me. I put my book aside, mostly unread, having been distracted for the past hours by worry over the whereabouts of the pirates. My mind is full of questions about why they've come here; what they're looking for and what they might do. I don't think they'd been looking for us - that was just a coincidence. Jimmy seemed just as surprised to see Victory as I was to see MORTE, but …

I didn't trust them. My gut told me they'd be back.

Jasper came into the living room, yawning and scratching his head. "Morning, Edward, you're up early."

"Yeah, I woke up around two and I couldn't go back to sleep."

"I'm not surprised as long as you slept." He sat down on the sofa opposite, picking up my discarded book to flip through the age-yellowed pages. He snapped it shut to look at the cover, chuckling when he noted the title. "Trying to distract yourself?"

"Yeah."

"Is it working?"

"Not really," I sigh. Swinging my legs to the floor, I sit up and lean back against the sofa cushions. "Jazz, we need to find a way to defend ourselves in case those pirates come back," I announce without preamble.

He looks relieved. "I've been thinking the same thing. We're totally alone here with no defensive weapons."

"Hmmm, I've been pondering that as well. I think it's a good idea if I teach everyone some combat skills."

"You think it might come to that?" he asked worriedly, "hand-to-hand?"

"Yes," I tell him after a moment, "I really think it might. If they come upon us without our knowledge, hand-to-hand fighting might be the only thing that saves us. At the very least, the distraction will give the others time to get to safety."

"And where that might be? It's not like we can hail a cab," he retorts grimly.

My brows arch in response to his snarky comment, but otherwise I ignore it. "The lava tubes, maybe?" I suggest quietly.

His eyes widen with interest. "Yes, that might work. We'll need to hide the tunnel entrance," Jasper answers, thinking through the possibilities.

I don't see that we have any other viable choices. "I think we should set up a safe-house at the lava tube intersection. It's far enough inside the volcano that even if the cave entrance is located, they might not be willing to chance getting lost by venturing further inside. We can move in some supplies - say three to five days worth, and leave some flashlights hidden in the fern cave entry."

"Sounds like a plan," he agrees, "but what's the program if the pirates _do_ search the tunnels and we're hiding in them?"

I face my brother grimly. "If that happens, then one of us waits as long as possible until they're seen by the pirates, then they lead them into the western tunnel toward the breakdown. The rest of the family heads down the unexplored eastern tunnel."

Jasper cracks his fingers nervously and nods in reluctant agreement. "Let's talk it over with Dad and Emmett. In the meantime, I think we should move the cache of stored supplies somewhere else. If anything happens to the camp ... "

"Yeah, I know, I've been thinking the same thing. It needs to be somewhere close by though, so we can move it quickly."

"What about the fern cave?"

"It's a possibility, and the only real option available. We haven't found any more caves close by."

"Maybe we should look for some?" Jasper suggests. "I don't fancy our chances of recovering the cache unmolested if the pirates should find the lava tunnel. They're just as likely to set fire to it just to make our lives more difficult."

My mouth tightens into a grim line, but I see the sense in what Jazz is saying. We spend the next hour making a plan of action to discuss with Dad and Emmett before bringing it to the women.

…

Mom comes downstairs while it is still dark to begin breakfast, reminding me that I want to speak with Jazz and Emmett about moving the kitchen inside. My instincts scream at me to keep the women inside or close to camp at all times.

"Morning, Mom." For some reason, I am strongly compelled to give her a hug, and I stand up so I can close my arms around her. She is startled, but returns my embrace, looking into my eyes with concern as we part.

"What's wrong, Edward?" she asks softly.

"I don't know, Mom. Nothing … everything."

"You're worried?" she says, squeezing my hand reassuringly.

I nod.

"We'll be alright, Edward. We've come this far and we'll fight any future battles that come our way. You have to believe in our strength as a family unit. You have to have faith," she encourages me.

Mom's words make me feel a little better and I let go of some of my overwhelming worry. She squeezes my hand again before announcing she is heading outside to make breakfast. We are still only lighting the fire before dawn and after dusk. Mom refuses our offer of help, but Jasper and I walk out to the verandah to keep an eye on her anyway. I broach the subject of the kitchen with Jasper.

"It's nearly finished, Edward. In fact, we're only waiting for the mortar in the range to dry before we can use it. It looks great by the way, and enormous. It takes up one entire wall of the kitchen," he tells me with a chuckle.

"Well if Emmett has no objections, let's move from outside to inside later today." We agree to speak with him as soon as he makes an appearance for the morning meal.

…

Mom raises the matter of Thanksgiving over breakfast. It is only a week away and it will be our first holiday celebration on the island.

"What are we gonna eat? I hope it's not iguana," remarks Emmett thoughtlessly.

"Well it's either _that_ or fish, unless you want to suggest something else," Mom reproofs gently. "I can't exactly place an order with the local butcher for a turkey."

"What about Prissy and Chrissy?" he suggests hopefully.

Mom is horrified, as is Bella. "Absolutely not!"

"If we eat them, we won't have any eggs, Emmett," Bella adds, "and the eggs are more useful."

Emmett's face falls as he acknowledges the truth of Bella's words, then his face brightens as a light globe flashes over his head. "I know, why don't we go find some more chickens. Maybe we can get the rooster you want this time," he adds as a sweetener.

"No!" I say sharply, drawing everyone's attention. "I don't think any of us should wander too far from camp at the moment. The fruit grove where we found them is a full day excursion," I remind them. I stare at Emmett meaningfully, hoping he will understand my silent warning. Dad nods his own head infinitesimally in my direction as my reasoning dawns on him.

Em is a second slower to understand my concern. "Um, okay, fair enough. What about if we try some hunting closer to home? Say, within an hours walking distance in any direction. We haven't explored the east very much yet, because we got distracted by the lava tube and the temples."

Everyone looks at me hopefully. Against my better judgment, I agree to the plan with a three hour round-trip proviso. At least preparing for the celebration will distract us all from thinking about our unexpected visitors, and we could use the opportunity to search for other caves.

"Alright, but only two of us at a time. The other two should stay here to guard the camp and patrol the beach," I say, looking sternly at my father and brothers. They nod their agreement. "Ladies, I'd like it very much if you'd all stay within 200 yards of the camp for awhile and travel in pairs." I have broached it as a suggestion, but it is an order and they know it. The women have a silent conversation with their eyebrows – the kind that men can never interpret, but every woman in the world is born knowing, as though it's embedded in her genes.

Rosalie changes the topic of conversation by asking Jasper if he's okay to climb the tree again. We have the extra antenna cable and she is eager to get the mast up so we can look for a local TV station. We also have the set-top box for the Armed Forces Network. Either way, there are no guarantees of finding anything, but it's worth a shot.

"Yeah, sure I can, Rose. We need to dig a hole first to stabilize the mast. It will move around if we leave it resting on the ground, even once it's anchored to the tree."

Emmett does the necessary math and determines we need a hole that is at least 17 feet deep for a post that is 70 feet in length. We are aghast. He goes on to say that as we plan on anchoring the mast to the tree with the steel sail rigging, he has reduced the depth to 6 feet. There is a collective sigh of relief as we make a work plan.

"Mom, the kitchen's ready, so we're gonna move you and Bella inside today," announces Emmett to their surprised gasps of joy. "We'll do that first and get a start on the hole after lunch." It amazes me how something as mundane as a kitchen can get two women so excited I think, as I watch them almost bouncing in their seats. Different strokes for different folks I 'spose.

"Jazz and I have been workin' on a surprise for you, if you want to see it now?" Em offers, grinning at them invitingly. He is almost as excited to see their expressions when the room is revealed, as they are to view it for the first time.

Mom and Bella stand up eagerly to wait in front of the closed door to the kitchen. Emmett takes hold of the door handle and turns it, but doesn't push it open. "Are you ready?" he teases them.

"Yes!" they both cry with impatient excitement.

"Okay ladies, here it is." Emmett opens the door with a flourish.

Mom and Bella stand at the door for a moment, staring with wide-eyed astonishment. Mom is first to walk down the three steps into the stone kitchen as Bella follows. Walking slowly into the middle of the room, they stand and turn slowly, trying to absorb everything. They gasp when they see the cooking range and rush over. It is constructed just as Emmett and Jasper drew it. Jasper is correct – it does encompass almost one entire wall of the kitchen.

The oven door from Victory is attached to the large domed oven, which is topped by a chimney to take the smoke from the room. Mom opens the oven door. Inside are the two oven racks resting on ledges of protruding stones, leaving the base of the oven vacant to build a fire. Bella inspects the stove top running her hands over the iron grates, picking up one of the many lava rocks I collected on my stealthy travels. She rolls it in her hand as she bends to inspect underneath the range, which is full of firewood. Bella and Mom swap places, their eyes sparkling as they take note of every part of the cooking range.

"Oh, Emmett, it's wonderful," gushes Bella as she rushes across the room. She throws herself at him to hug him. He catches her and swings her about.

"Hey!" I yell in objection. "That's _my_ girl you're twirling." They ignore me, then Emmett releases Bella into Jasper's welcoming arms so he can hug Mom who is crying. The rest of the family is beaming at their happiness over the kitchen.

"Oh yes," sobs Mom as she wipes the tears from her eyes. "It is more than I ever dreamed you'd be able to build us. I thought we'd just have a bricked area for the cooking tripods, but this – this is just amazing," she says as she gestures around us. "This entire house is amazing. We've all worked so hard to make it happen, especially Carlisle and the boys, and now we have everything we need. It truly _will_ be a thanksgiving to remember." Mom hugs us all, ending with Dad who holds his emotional wife close to his body.

We spend the morning moving the fridge and the prep bench with its paraphernalia into the kitchen. Jasper carries the microwave oven in from storage while the rest of us trail behind him with the smaller appliances. We have a juicer, a coffee grinder (though no beans to put in it, but Bella assures me she has other uses for it), the blender, a toaster (but no bread to toast), an electric kettle, a slow cooker, an electric frying pan and a food processor. There were other smaller hand-held appliances that would likely be used for something or other, but I didn't pay that much attention to them.

…

After our lunch that was prepared in the new kitchen, I went outside with Dad and my brothers to begin digging the hole for the mast. I couldn't really dig all that well, but I was able to scoop up the discarded soil and throw it into the wheelbarrow.

Rosalie worked on the antenna, threading the cable through bamboo poles to protect it from the weather, while Mom, Bella and Alice worked in the garden. A lot of our crop was ready for picking including the tomatoes, cucumbers and watermelon.

The afternoon had passed companionably as we made good progress, when I heard Bella scream from the garden where she is weeding. Her screams are soon followed by frightened yelps of fear from Mom and Alice.

"Aghhhh!"

"Aghhhh! Aghhhhh!"

We drop our tools and race around the house to the garden, skidding to a terrified halt at the sight that confronted us.

The pirates were back.

They'd sneaked up on us when we weren't paying attention. That's twice now. _Fuck it!_

Jimmy, Larry and the red-headed woman stood standing over Mom and the girls as they knelt in the garden. They all three, wore ugly smirks as they took in our reduced circumstances. A gun is tucked into the waistband of Jimmy's jeans. My mouth tightens as I recognize the weapon.

It is _my_ gun. It is the Glock 17 military issue handgun.

The woman has a similar weapon strapped to her thigh and Larry carried an automatic, rapid assault rifle that made my heart stutter as I noted the make and model. It is Russian – a Izhmash/Nikinov AN 94 GP-34, capable of firing 1800 rounds per minute with a range of 700 meters. It had a 40 millimeter grenade launcher attached to the underside of the barrel.

Larry is pointing the assault weapon at Mom, Bella and Alice. I feel the blood draining from my face sending me vampire-white with fear and anxiety. I notice similar reactions from Dad and my brothers. Bella begins to stand, but I motion her down with a quick signal of my hand.

"Come over here, Blondie," calls Jimmy to Rosalie as he removes my gun from his pants and points it at me, aiming at my chest dead center. She hesitates, then walks slowly toward us from the outside table where she'd been working. Her eyes are trained on the weapons. "That's it, sweetheart, come join us," he hisses sibilantly.

Rosalie comes to a stop beside Emmett, swallowing the fear that is visibly rising into her throat. She looks like she wants to vomit as Emmett pushes her behind him, making Jimmy snigger. The red-head arches her brows, sneering condescendingly at Emmett's protective gesture.

"Well, isn't that sweet," she scorns with a soft voice that doesn't fit her appearance or manner.

I ignore her. "What do you want?" I ask Jimmy with outward calm, despite my inner turmoil.

"Well, well, we meet again, Red. I never expected that," he mocked.

"Neither did I," I sneer. "I would have preferred to _never_ see you again," I couldn't help retorting. My father's eyes widen warily at my combative manner. He carefully reaches out and squeezes my shoulder in a gesture that implored me to act cautiously. "But you're here now and so are we. I say again, what do _you_ want?"

Jimmy scowled and the woman glares at me. Her hand reaches for the gun strapped to her leg, but she doesn't remove it. She left her hand hovering above it in readiness. Larry grinned like an idiot as he looked between me and Jimmy. The idea of an idiot commanding a Russian assault rifle terrified the hell out of me.

"I'm gunna ask the questions here, Red, and you're gunna do the answering. Do ya understand me, mate?" I stared at him. "Or," he continued in his thick Aussie accent as he pointed to Larry, "I'm gunna let Larry here begin shooting, starting with the little girl there," he threatened as he indicated Bella.

A stone drops into my stomach as my mouth goes dry. I swallow with difficulty and glance at Bella. Her eyes are huge with fear in her pale face. She pants anxiously as perspiration rolls off her temples leaving rivulets through the dirt smearing her face. Mom grabs Bella's hand and holds it tightly, trying to reassure her.

"Yes, _I_ understand," I grit out as I look back at Jimmy. He relaxes his stance, spreading his legs shoulder length apart and folding his arms across his chest. The barrel of the Glock points skywards, but I know he could aim and fire within seconds if threatened.

"How long have you been here?" he demands.

"Since ten days after you robbed us," I tell him through gritted teeth.

He looks around at the life we've built with interest. "You seem to be doing well for yourselves."

"We're getting by."

"So you've been here for what? Three months?" I nod slowly. "Have you explored the island?" he asks, feigning curiosity. I can see in his eyes that my answer will be important. He never expected to find survivors when he'd spotted Victory.

"No, not really," I answer evasively.

"Why not?" His tone is disbelieving.

"The island is large. We've stayed to the south and only explored a few hours to the west of here."

He looks around him. "Is there anyone else on this island?"

"Not that we've seen," pipes up Jasper calmly.

"Who are you?" Jimmy snarls.

"I'm his brother," Jazz answers, inclining his head toward me.

He looks at us all with interest, smirking. "And the rest of them? Who are they? I'm afraid I didn't stop for introductions the last time we met," he says sarcastically.

"These are my sons," responds Dad, stepping forward. "That is my wife and these are my daughters in law," Dad relates vaguely, as he points them out. So far, we have managed not to reveal our names. I think it's important that the pirates know as little about us as possible, lest they take us captive and try to hold us for ransom. Jimmy and his companions don't appear to have noticed that we know their names, but they don't know ours. Either that, or they're not all that interested.

Jimmy nods and considers before staring at me with eyes that are black with malice. "Give me one good reason, why I shouldn't kill you all now since you are trespassing on my island?"

Mom gasps as does Alice and Rosalie.

"_Your_ island?" I ask with disbelief.

"Yeah, _my_ island," retorts Jimmy. "I've known about it for awhile. I just didn't know its location," he says, not realizing how much information he is unwittingly sharing. I file the intelligence away for future reference.

Dad steps forward again with his hands up in a yielding gesture. "We are no threat to you. We have no weapons, no boat and no way of communicating with the outside world. All we have is what you left us with and what we've made ourselves," he reveals in an effort to relieve everyone's anxiety.

"That's nice, Pops," scorns the woman, "but we have a prior claim on this island and we don't want any interference from you lot while we sear- ,"

"Shut the fuck up, Vivi," spits Jimmy.

I file away more information 'sear-'. Was she perhaps going to say 'search'? What are they searching for?

"We have no interest in what you are doing here. We're simply trying to survive," explains Emmett.

Jimmy appears thoughtful. His attention is drawn to the oinking of the maturing piglets. His gaze falls upon the chickens scratching in their hen house and the goats eating in their new pen, completely ignoring the drama.

"Where did all of these animals come from? What, are you the Swiss Family Robinson or somethin'?" he mocks scornfully.

"They are roaming wild on the island," I tell him, not revealing that the goats were brought here by earlier explorers.

"How industrious of you, Red. You and the Farmer John's beside you are quite the homesteaders, aren't ya?" he mocks again.

I grit my teeth in order to contain the sharp retort that is jumping on the end of my tongue.

"We are making do with what the island provides us," agreed Dad in a conciliatory tone. "We will _not_ bother you, if you_ do not_ bother us."

"Well now, Pops, I don't know about that. How can I trust that you'll stay on this side of the island and out of my way? I don't want no snooping."

"You have our word, that we will not venture any farther that we already have," Dad promises.

"And how far is that?" asks Jimmy.

Emmett steps slowly forward to stand beside Dad leaving Rosalie standing between me and Jasper.

"We'll stay on the south side where we are, and to the west and east of here," Emmett says. "The volcano prevents us from goin' anywhere else," he adds placatingly. He doesn't mention the lava tubes and the passages leading to other parts of the island.

Jimmy narrows his eyes and considers the proposal. For some reason that escapes me, he is not bent on outright murder, no matter how many threats he's made. I don't think the same holds true for the woman. She looks like a nasty piece of work, and Larry was just plain stupid. Unfortunately stupid people do stupid things when circumstances call for a split second reaction.

Jimmy strides over to Larry and the woman to speak with them quietly. The woman objects strenuously to whatever decision Jimmy has made, but Larry seems indifferent. I can't hear her words, but her expression and manner speak loudly. She's not happy.

Jasper and I stare at each other. I communicate silently to him our plan from this morning. If it comes down to a fight, he is to take the others and get them to safety. I point covertly to myself as the one who will stay behind to fight them. His eyes widen fearfully, before he nods his head in reluctant agreement. Rosalie watches us curiously, wondering what we are planning.

"What's going on?" she hisses quietly at us.

"Nothing!" I hiss back at her. "Just follow Jasper's lead if the shit hits the fan," I tell her as her eyes widen.

"But-"

"But _nothing_,_"_ I cut her off. "We need you to do as we say without argument." She stares at me for a long moment, then nods in agreement.

The pirates argue for another long minute. If they heard our whispered argument, they give no indication. Jimmy turns from his partners in crime and walks back toward us, halting in his previous position.

"Okay, Pops, I'm feelin' generous. You all stay this side of the island and we'll have no problem. But," he cautions as he holds up a finger, "if I see _any_ of you on the north side of this island, I'm gunna shoot first and ask questions later."

"We understand," I say.

"How's about you give us one of those pigs?" pipes up Larry. "I'm sick and tired of fish and canned chicken," he whines to Jimmy.

"No!" voices Rosalie as she steps out from beside me. I pull her back with a hissed admonition. She ignores me, _and_ my previous warning, to step up beside her husband. Emmett is horrified by his wife's ballsy denial as he takes hold of her hand in his tight grip, keeping her from moving forward. "You've taken enough from us," she scorns. "You left us for dead in the middle of the ocean. If you want a pig, go catch your own," she spits at Larry with fiery eyes.

_Oh, Jesus!_

"Well now, Larry, there's your answer," Jimmy shouts with a cackle. "I like you, Blondie. You've got guts," he admires. "How 'bout the girl then?" he counter offers as he eyes Bella kneeling in the dirt of the garden. The basket of fresh produce she'd collected sits in front of her. "Larry's lonely," he adds slyly when his female companion glares at him viciously.

"No!" I yell, as I step forward frantically. Jimmy turns and points my Glock at me.

"Hold it steady there, Red," he growls. "Who is she to you?"

"She's my wife!" I gasp out. Bella looks at me with wide eyes of worry.

"Your wife you say? Pretty," he comments. "Well here's the deal folks. It's a pig and some of those fresh veggies, or it's Red's wife. What's it gonna be?" He smirks - he knows we have no real choice to make.

"I'll get a pig," responds Emmett quickly, as he releases Rosalie. She whispers something to him.

"Go with him, Vivi," Jimmy orders. Vivi glares at him, but motions Emmett to walk in front of her. We watch them hurry over to the pig pen. Emmett picks up a rope to tie around the victims neck. I notice he selects the smallest female. It oinks in protest as he leads it from the pen and away from its siblings.

"Oi! Old lady!" yells Jimmy at Mom, "put some of those veggies and one of those watermelons in a basket." Jimmy gazes lasciviously at Bella while Vivi's back is turned. Mom's eyes narrow in response to the 'old lady' title, but she stands up slowly to get an empty basket while Dad watches her every movement closely. She fills the basket with the melon, some of the tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines. I keep my own gaze steady on Bella who is trembling as her hands claw into the soil. I can see Jimmy in my peripheral vision. He doesn't take his eyes from her as he cocks his head to the side curiously.

I want to rip his head from his shoulders.

Mom brings the basket of food to Jimmy and drops it on the ground at his feet defiantly. She moves to stand beside Dad, but Jimmy motions her back inside the garden. She returns reluctantly when Dad whispers to her to go.

"I thought you said she was fourteen?" Jimmy asks me about Bella.

_Shit!_ I was hoping he wouldn't remember my fib on board Victory.

"Did you _lie_ to me, Red? I don't _like_ it when people lie to me," he accuses softly. His eyes glint with vindictive anger as he cocks the handgun in my direction. He is interrupted as Emmett and the woman return with the objecting piglet. I think it is Pork Chop, not that it really matters.

"He was trying to protect me," whispers Bella from the garden. There is more dirt on her face where she has wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Hmmm, yes, your _husband _here sought to protect you from the big, bad hunter," he says, smirking as he points to himself. "Every time I see that sheila, she's got dirt on her face," Jimmy remarks to me offhandedly, apparently remembering Bella's face mask the last time he saw her.

"Yeah," I say. "She's got skin problems. It's unfortunate." It was the only thing I could think of to say in that moment to dissuade him from forcibly taking Bella.

"It won't worry, m-Larry," he corrected. "He'll just put a bag over her head," Jimmy cackles unkindly. Larry cackles with him. Vivi just rolls her eyes disparagingly.

Dad opens his mouth to speak decisively. "You cannot _have_ one of our party," he refuses. "You may take the pig and the vegetables, but that's all. That was the agreement," Dad reminds Jimmy. "Please take your food and go. We will not venture to the north side of the island."

I hold my breath as we wait for Jimmy's decision. He narrows his eyes and exchanges a speaking glance with Vivi. She shakes her head in a negative gesture.

"Fine," he huffs grudgingly. Tucking the firearm into his pants, he bends over to pick up the basket of produce. "The girl stays here. Maybe next time," he adds as he stands up to stare at me. I see in his eyes that he means it. Larry looks at Bella with disappointment, then shrugs his shoulders dismissively. He is more enamored with the pig at the moment. He reminds me of Emmett, always thinking of his stomach.

"Turn around and face the garden," orders Jimmy. He watches us closely to make sure we all obey him without question. "We're leaving now. Stay where you are for fifteen minutes before taking a single step. No one follows us, or you're all dead," he threatens. He fires off a round from the Glock to drive home his point. The women yelp with fright while the jungle birds scream in protest and burst from the trees in terror.

"Bang, bang," adds Vivi in a mocking tone as she walks away pulling the pig behind her.

It goes against my every instinct to turn my back on an enemy holding a gun, especially an enemy that has shown he is not afraid to fire, but I do as Jimmy says in order to protect all our lives. We all sag in relief as the sound of the pirates crunching steps dissipate as they leave our campsite behind them. My hearing told me they went in an easterly direction, towards the temples and the lava tube entrance. I hoped desperately it was obscured from their view. The direction they walked also told me they hadn't arrived from the southern beach where Victory is beached on the sand. It also told me, they hadn't entirely believed there was nobody here. They were reconnoitering just as I would in their situation.

Jasper broke formation when he could no longer hear them, well before the fifteen minute time limit became final. He vaulted easily over the garden fence, running toward Alice who is a quivering mess in the garden on the opposite side of Mom and Bella, squatting alone and frightened. She is crying and shaking.

Dad and I follow as we go to Mom and Bella. Grabbing her arms above the elbows, I haul her to her feet, jarring my forearm in the process. I ignore the flash of pain as I pull Bella into my chest and embrace her tightly.

"Oh, Ed-Edward," she cries against me. "I thought it was all over. When he kept pointing that gun at your chest, I-I …"

"Shssh," I sooth her. "I'm fine. We're all fine." I kiss her face all over, ignoring the dirt clinging to her skin and her lips, as I kiss her hard in a gesture of relief and comfort. My Dad and brothers are doing similar things to console their own wives.

"Let's get inside," says Dad as he leads Mom toward the house with his arms around her. "We have a lot to talk about."

I agreed silently as we followed Mom and Dad into the house.

The need for a plan of defense against the pirates just ratcheted up from DEFCON 4 to DEFCON 3 in a matter of forty-five minutes.

The next time, we might not be so lucky.

…

A/N: Photos are on my blog at jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com

Sorry for the cliffie, but I thought it was a good place to leave it. Please review and let me know what you think.

Next on Wrecked with Bella: The family make preparations to defend themselves against the pirates and they celebrate Thanksgiving.

I've used the math for laying fence posts in calculating how deep to bury the base of the mast. For every 8 feet of fence post, you need two feet underground for stability so the fence won't fall over. As the mast is anchored to the deck of a boat, and the Cullen's will anchor the mast to the tree, I've used some liberty in how deep the hole they dig will be.

Aubergines are called eggplants in some parts of the world.

DEFCON is the state of military awareness level in the United States with 5 being the lowest and 1 being the highest – apparently the movies get it wrong when the script calls for DEFCON 5. The use of DEFCON is the acronym for Defense Readiness Condition. Five means normal readiness – no threat; four means above normal readiness – an increase in readiness of war or a threat has been detected; three means medium readiness – an increase in force or the threat has been confirmed; two means war readiness – next step to war, and one means maximum readiness – war is imminent.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: In recent chapters I have been experimenting with writing in first person, present tense (e.g I say) instead of the more familiar first person, past tense (e.g. I said). I have decided that first person, past tense is easier for me to write and I am changing back to it. My sincere apologies to any readers who have been, or who are distracted by this change, but I promise you, I won't be changing tenses again.

Lemon alert.

This chapter was supposed to include Thanksgiving, but it got too long. Thanksgiving will be in chapter 25.

…

Chapter 24 – War and Television

After hurriedly entering the house, I closed the doors behind me following one last, long look around the now quiet camp. The pirates were gone again … for the moment. The family gathered around the dining table to discuss what had happened. Alice was weeping quietly in Jasper's arms, while Emmett urged a pale and shaking Rosalie into a dining chair before she fell over.

I went to Bella who was standing quietly just inside the door to the dining room, hugging herself tightly. She looked alone and frightened, her eyes wide with terror and glassy with unshed tears. I strode over to her and took her into my arms, holding her tightly against my chest. Her body felt cold as though she'd been drained of all her blood and left for dead. Sitting down, I pulled her onto my lap, embracing her quivering body protectively in my arms.

"I'll make tea," said Mom, as she wrung her hands agitatedly. "Does any want tea? You all want tea, right? Yes, yes, tea will help," she mumbled to herself. She turned to walk into the kitchen.

Dad reached out and stayed her with a firm, but gentle hand around her wrist. "Maisy, you don't need to make tea."

Mom stared at him without comprehension. Now that the immediate crisis was over, the shock was setting in. I noticed Dad taking a measure of Mom's pulse from the wrist clasped in his hand. His eyes widened slightly. He glanced at me and I nodded, then inclined my head toward Alice who was a mess of anxiety in her husbands arms.

"Actually, maybe tea is a good idea," Dad agreed as he released Mom's hand. She nodded and went into the kitchen with noticeable relief that she could _do_ something useful. "I'll be back in a moment," Dad told us as he strode from the room.

Mom bustled in and out of the kitchen as the water boiled for the tea. She brought some arrowroot cookies to the table along with a jar of fig jam made from the wild banyan figs, and a bowl of ground palm sugar crystals. I heard her laying a tray with tea mugs and side plates as I stared at the afternoon tea items on the table. A replay of the last hour flashed through my mind as I cataloged any and all useful information.

Dad came through the dining room holding a pouch. He didn't stop as he placed the notepad and pen he also carried on the table, then joined Mom in the kitchen. I saw them making two pots of tea as they talked quietly, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I assumed Dad was trying to relieve Mom's anxiety just as I was trying to relieve Bella's. I rubbed absently at her goose flesh covered arms as she curled against my chest.

"I think we need to discuss this latest interaction with the pirates," Dad announced as he carried the laden tea tray in from the kitchen. Mom followed with the pot of steaming moringa tea.

"I agree," I said, as I took the offered tea mugs and side plates from Dad. I placed two cookies on Bella's plate with a teaspoon of jam on each one and slid the plate in front of her. She shook her head negatively. "Eat something, Bella," I entreated quietly as I picked up a cookie. "You need some sugar." She looked at me vacantly, but took the cookie I held out to her. She nibbled on the edge of it when I stared at her expectantly. "Thank you, sweetheart."

Mom bustled around the table filling tea mugs and Dad placed a small china teapot in front of Alice. "I want you to drink this, Alice."

She made a face of dislike. "But, it's not bedtime," she whispered.

"I know, but the kava will relieve your anxiety," he told her. "I'm worried about you."

"Drink it please, Allycat," begged Jasper. "I know you hate the taste, but I think you need something right now. You've had a terrible experience. You need to relax."

"It's a mild dose, Alice. It won't do you any harm," Dad added. Alice looked between Dad and Jasper and nodded her head, reaching for the cup Jasper poured.

Dad took his seat at the head of the table. "Well, that _was_ an unwelcome surprise."

There was a round of scoffs and snorts from me, Jasper and Emmett. The girls and Mom remained extraordinarily quiet. The family turned to me expectantly, waiting for me to speak.

"Well, Edward, what's your view of what happened? What should we do?" prompted Dad when I remained silent.

I took a deep breath and blew it out. "Jasper and I discussed this very thing early this morning." Jazz nodded in confirmation to Dad's glance of inquiry. "We were going to fill you and Emmett in before we told the plan to …" I trailed off as I looked around at the women in our lives. They were our weakest link, not because they couldn't pull their weight or come up with great ideas, but because they were easier to pick off in an attack or a kidnapping attempt.

"Yes?" Dad asked.

I sighed. "Before we told Mom and the girls what we'd decided."

Bella dropped her half eaten cookie onto the plate and slid off my lap and onto her own seat. The vacant look had left her eyes as they darkened in irritation. "Why? What's wrong with including us (she gestured to her compatriots) in the discussion? We're all in this together," she snapped. "Don't we deserve a say too?"

"Yes, and you're right," I conceded with apology in my voice. "I think … I think I didn't want to worry you too much. I wanted to announce our plan as a fait accompli, to lesson your stress and anxiety. But, this_ is_ a family decision. I'm sorry for excluding you," I said sincerely. I met the eyes of every woman at the table beginning and ending with Bella.

Bella narrowed her eyes as she considered my apology, finally squeezing my hand in acceptance; but she didn't return to her place on my lap. Mom reproached me with pursed lips of annoyance. I slid Bella's tea mug and barely eaten cookies across the table. She frowned and picked up the tea mug, but ignored the food.

"So what did you come up with?" asked Dad after a long moment of terse silence.

Jasper and I relayed our initial plan to set up a safe house at the lava tube intersection, and to look for other caves close by where we could hide our cache of salvaged materials from Victory. They all listened carefully, but held their questions until the end.

"If the pirates explore the tunnels and find us, one of us (I looked pointedly at Dad and Emmett) will lead them down the western tunnel to the breakdown hole, while the rest of the family hides in the eastern tunnel," I told them, summarizing the draft plan. There were nods of agreement from Emmett and Dad, but Mom and the girls weren't so sure.

"But what will happen to the person leading the pirates?" asked Alice. "How will they trap the pirates into falling into the hole so they can get away themselves?"

Jasper answered the question for his wife. "We might not be able to, Ally," he told her quietly.

Alice's eyes widened in terror. "Then, the answer's no," she gasped. "I'm _not_ going to lose you, Jasper, if you're the one who takes the lead. We _have _to make a different plan," she stated vehemently. Mom, Bella and Rosalie nodded frantically in agreement.

I sighed. "It's the best chance we've got _if_ the pirates make it as far as the intersection. We have no reason to believe they even know about the tubes, but if they do find them and they explore them while we're hiding in there, we'd be sitting ducks."

"Why can't we all hide in the eastern tube?" asked Rosalie. Color had returned to her complexion as she partook of the hastily prepared afternoon tea.

"We could," spoke up Emmett, "but what's to stop the pirates from exploring each of the tubes and finding us? If they accidentally-on-purpose see one of us fleeing down the western tube, they'll think we all went that way, and hopefully follow."

"Yes exactly," agreed Jasper. "The one of us who acts as a decoy can edge around the breakdown hole and stand on the far side, drawing their attention. It's so dark in there that even with flashlights, the chances of the pirates seeing the hole before they reach it is remote. It may be our best chance of trapping them."

"And ending them for good," I added.

Dad was troubled by the idea of deliberately leading someone to their death. "I don't believe in killing, Edward. I took an oath to preserve life, not end it."

"I know Dad, but if it's a choice between saving our lives or preserving theirs, then I choose ours. I will_ do_ whatever is necessary to protect the people I love," I told him without apology.

"So will I," chorused Jasper and Emmett. The girls voiced their own agreement.

Mom remained neutrally silent as she gazed at her somber husband, but she too eventually chose a side. "So will I," she whispered. "I'm sorry, Carlisle. I won't sacrifice our family for those bastards," she spat. "They don't deserve it."

I could see the turmoil in Dad's face as he gazed around the table meeting the eyes of every family member. "Alright," he eventually said quietly. "I'll agree to these measures _if _the circumstances call for it. But, if they do not threaten us, then we take no action against them," Dad added as a proviso.

"Dad, they've _already_ threatened Bella," I reminded him as I clutched her hand. "Jimmy as much as told me he'll be back for her. We need to neutralize him!"

"I understand your concern, Edward, and we'll take all possible measures to protect her and rest of us, but I _will not _support premeditated murder," Dad decreed. "I can't."

Jasper fidgeted in his seat. "Dad, they won't flinch at doing the same to us if it suits them."

He sighed. "I know, which is why I _will_ support a plan that protects us from an aggressive attack. If they strike first, we'll fight back, but I won't eliminate the enemy with a preemptive strike. We're not murderers," he finished quietly.

"But we are _at_ war," I murmured, even as I hesitantly agreed to Dad's plan.

Dad nodded in reluctant acceptance and pulled the notepad and pen toward him. "Shall we begin?"

…

We spent the week leading up to Thanksgiving engaged in a number of pursuits. Emmett insisted on finishing the hole so we could situate the antenna mast. He was determined to watch a football game on Thanksgiving. Although I personally thought it was a waste of our time right now when we had better things to do, I conceded when the rest of the family supported the idea. In retrospect, I realize the idea of watching TV was a morale booster. I spent a good deal of my time dragging away countless wheelbarrows of soil, and bringing back an equal number filled with stones to support the mast in its hole.

Mom was cooking up a storm in the new kitchen with only occasional help or ideas from Bella who was preoccupied demonstrating the method of cordage making and drawing diagrams of the Polynesian weapons she'd seen before. She'd told us at the family meeting that her grandmother inherited a wide selection of antique, warrior weapons from her ancestors. They decorated the walls of the library in their home on Maui. Though she'd never made any weapons, nor seen them made, she _had_ studied them closely, and was able to describe them in detail.

Jasper thought he could make some of the weapons if we could obtain the necessary materials. The traditional Koa wood was plentiful on the island as was the Alona plant used by the ancients to make the cordage. The one item we didn't have on hand was sharks teeth. Once Jasper made some prototypes he agreed to teach Emmett and I how to make them as well.

"How are we gonna catch a shark?" Emmett had asked tersely when Bella told us most of the weapons contained sharks teeth forming a lethal serrated blade. I'd been thinking the same thing. It was one thing to net fish and trap crustaceans, and another to hunt and kill 10 to 14 foot tiger sharks.

"My ancestors would tame the shark and then noose it, dragging it into shore with their canoes. Once it was stranded on the sand, it was killed," she relayed matter-of-factly.

"How do you _tame_ a shark?" I asked seriously.

Jasper interjected as he addressed Bella. "The ancients used to feed them, didn't they?"

"Yes," Bella replied. "The fishermen would throw bait mixed with kava from a canoe into shallow water, attracting the sharks. They'd continue to feed them for three or four days drawing the sharks closer to land in their canoes. Eventually the shark was satiated and stupefied by the kava allowing the fishermen to slip a noose over the shark's head."

Emmett shuddered. "I don't know if I fancy hunting for sharks."

"We might not have to," Jasper said excitedly. "When we were in the fishing village, I found some sharks teeth with the hooks and nets. I brought some of them back with me."

"Can we see them?" said Dad.

"Sure, I'll go get them." Jasper stood from the table and headed upstairs to his and Alice's room returning a few minutes later. He laid the artifacts gently on the table. He pulled a small pouch from the hodge-podge of items and opened it, pouring the serrated sharks teeth carefully into the palm of his hand. Dad, Emmett and I took one each.

"Can I see one?" asked Rosalie as she looked over Emmett's shoulder with interest. He handed the tooth to his curious wife.

"Wow, that _is_ lethal," she breathed with awe. She held the tooth delicately between her fingertips and close to her face, as she turned it around to study it from each side.

"How many were there, Jasper?" asked Dad.

"They were scattered all over the ground in the canoe and fishing sheds. I reckon if we went back, we could collect enough of them to use in a few weapons."

"Well, let's make that priority one on our list of things to do. You and Edward can go back to the village after thanksgiving and collect as many as you can find. I don't think you should camp overnight though. Do you think you can make it there and back in one day?"

I nodded to Jasper. "Yes," he confirmed to Dad. "In the meantime, we can begin cutting the Koa wood we need, and make the cordage."

Dad wrote the suggestions on his war list. "What about the use of poison? It was often used in ancient civilizations as an effective method of warfare. We can coat spear tips with the poison."

I blinked at my father. My brain was having trouble synchronizing his most recent statement with his earlier speech that we would not commit murder. The peacemaker amongst us had just suggested the use of poison as a means of incapacitating our enemy or causing death.

"Oh!" cried my bloodthirsty little princess excitedly. "We can use the Hawaiian poppy. Its sap is toxic. In high enough doses, it causes cardiac arrest." She thumped the table in jubilation. Even _my_ eyes widened in shock.

"Where have you seen it?" Dad asked. His face and tone of voiced hinted at mild disappproval, but Bella was perceptive enough to pick up on it.

Bella blushed, and looked down at the table replying in a subdued tone, "Ahm, I've seen one or two plants around the temples. There might be more further east. It likes to grow on the leeward side of islands."

Dad coughed to clear his throat. "Then that's our second highest priority. Bella and I will make a trip to the east and collect some plants." He wrote the task down as number two on his list.

I leaned toward Bella to whisper, "Don't worry about it, Bella. Dad's a pacifist and your enthusiasm just made him a little uncomfortable. I love your spirit. It shows me you're not prepared to lie down and be defeated without a fight." She nodded, but refused to look up from the table.

I glared at Dad as he looked up from his notes, and jerked my head towards Bella.

He noticed her dejected manner with startled eyes. I don't think he realized just how much Bella valued his good opinion, especially since he was training her. His silent reprimand was dismaying to her and nothing I said would change that. Only his words could.

"Bella?" Dad called softly.

She lifted her head and responded with equal softness. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't intend to make you uncomfortable. Although I suggested poison as a defensive method, I wasn't expecting quite so much … zeal for the idea."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He sighed again. "No, I am. You have nothing to apologize for. I asked and you responded. Without your knowledge of plants, I wouldn't have known where to start. Please don't take my distaste for what we do as a criticism against you," he told her gently. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. Bella smiled wanly at him and wiped a tear from her eyes.

Pulling her seat closer to me, I hugged her back against my chest, encircling her waist with my arms. "Moving on," I announced to the strained silence. "I think I can make gun powder." My family's eyes widened with a mixture of interest and shock. "Everything we need to make the powder occurs naturally on this island or can be made. We can fill coconuts with the powder and add a wick using the cordage, and seal it with some of the beeswax. It should make a nice explosive weapon. The percussive blast will incapacitate anyone in the general line of fire, and a direct hit should pretty much take them down."

"We can use gourds as well," Bella volunteered quietly. "They're growing everywhere. The ancients used them as storage containers, food bowls and musical instruments."

"We should fill them with some of those sharks teeth," Alice suggested pithily. She was much calmer after drinking her kava tea. "They'd cause some real damage when the bombs explode."

I couldn't help it, I grinned. Together, the ideas were running thick and fast. So far, every single one of the suggestions was doable. "Yeah, shrapnel wounds are debilitating," I confirmed. "We could use shell fragments as well." Dad wrote it down on his list.

"I can make some tasers," announced Rosalie to a stunned room. She scoffed into the shocked silence. "What? You're not the only ones who can make weapons."

"How does one make a taser, dear?" asked Mom timidly.

"A 9 volt battery, a disposable camera, some wire and electrical tape," Rose deadpanned. Dad never said a word; he just wrote it down on his list. Emmett beamed at his ballsy wife as he pulled her into him.

I frowned. The cameras on Victory were digital. "We have disposable cameras?"

"Yes," answered Alice. "Rosalie and I bought two in Kiritimati when we forgot our own."

"Anything else?" asked Dad with his pen poised over his notepad. He looked a little dumbfounded by the breadth of ideas.

"What about some trap nets and trip ropes?" Mom suggested.

"Great idea, Mom," praised Jasper. "We can use the cordage to make them. It's what the Polynesians used to make their own fishing nets." He picked up the net fragment from the table and handed it to her. "See how strong it is?"

Mom fingered the net and pulled it between her hands. There was very little give in the natural rope. "Have you ever woven a net, Jasper?"

"No, but I'll study this fragment and figure it out."

"We can use macrame," Rose volunteered. "I used to make macrame stuff all the time when I was a teenager."

"Do you think you remember how to do it?" Emmett asked Rose, as he idly stroked her burgeoning stomach.

"Yes. I'll start practicing knots using some grasses until the cordage is ready to use."

Dad added another item to his growing list.

"I'll make some sling shots," announced Jasper. "We can use lava rocks as projectiles. Its hard, but lightweight. A direct hit in the head will bring down a moose."

Dad shook his head and scribbled furiously.

"There's one last thing I think we need," said Emmett, "and that's some type of signal system. We don't want to be caught unawares." We all nodded vigorously in agreement. Twice was bad enough; it was three times if we counted the first sighting of MORTE on the beach.

"Like what?" I said. "We've got the antique ships bell. Will that do?"

"Yeah, we could use that, and for camp, we probably will. But for the rest of us, I think we should use Triton shells. We can carry them on us. I saw some on the beach near the rock pool."

"Can you and Rosalie collect them?" Dad asked, as he wrote it down on his list. They agreed to go the next day and I set up a schedule to begin teaching them all some self-defense techniques. Jasper also suggested bringing back a supply of diesel fuel from Victory, though what we'd store it in, I had no idea.

I'd think about that later.

…

"What do you think they're searching for? The pirates, I mean," I asked Jasper later that night. We were sitting on one of the sofas in the living room while Dad and Emmett patrolled the beach one last time for the night.

He was thoughtful for a moment. "I think they're looking for gold."

I remembered the European artifacts we'd found in the fishing village and groaned. "The plates."

"Yeah. I bet there's a wreck somewhere near this island, probably in the north, since that's the area they wanted us to stay away from."

"You think that's where the Polynesians found the plates – on a wreck?"

"Maybe; or the survivors traded them for supplies – like weapons, or food and tools."

"I don't think the early Polynesians knew _what _gold was. There's no evidence of its use in anything we've found."

"No, but they may have been intrigued by its appearance. It's bright yellow and it would have sparkled in the light. The nobility favored yellow and red items like their cloaks and war helmets."

Hmmm. "Keep them hidden, Jazz. If they come back, I don't want them finding them. Let's tell the others not to mention them either."

"Agreed. I wonder which ship went down in this area?"

I stood up to head upstairs for a shower. "Don't know, but there's an entire set of encyclopedia's on the living room book shelves. Go for your life."

He quirked his brows and looked at the thick volumes.

I hope he liked research.

…

The following day, Bella and I walked in the direction of the new pathway Emmett had found when he was chased by honey bees. It was close by to the grotto I'd discovered and I hoped both of the landmarks were indicators of more caves nearby.

Thanksgiving is in three days time and everything had been quiet and uneventful so far. We'd had no more visits from the pirates, but we moved ahead with our plans to defend ourselves as though they might turn up any moment. Everyday, Emmett dragged one of us with him to go and hunt for chickens or other jungle fowl. He was determined there would be a roasted bird on the dining table for Thanksgiving lunch come hell or high water. We'd seen evidence of poultry in the area, though none of us had actually seen one.

Tomorrow we were going to hoist the mast into the hole and anchor it to the tree. Jasper had spent considerable time these past few days among the branches drilling holes for the anchor bolts. Mom was worried they'd hurt the tree, but Jazz assured her the banyan would adapt without a problem. In any event, it was all hands on deck tomorrow and it promised to be a long and exhausting day.

"Come this way," I said to Bella as I coaxed her in the direction of the grotto. "I want to show you something.

She glanced at me playfully, her eyes sparkling. "What do you want to show me Edward Cullen that I haven't already seen?"

I grinned secretly. "Oh, I think it's something you'll like, Isabella Swan."

"Hmmm, well that remains to been seen," she said as we stop in front of the jungle that screened the grotto from view. She looked around with interest when the sound of falling water reached her ears. "Is there a stream close by?"

Pulling the foliage aside, I bent to whisper suggestively near her ear, "I'll show you the surprise - it's through here."

She shot me a guarded look that said, '_this better be good'_ and stepped through the tangle of plants. I followed her in and let the jungle close in behind us. When I looked back, I couldn't see where we'd actually entered. We were completely hidden from view. Hmmm, this place has possibilities. Bella struggled to move the vines out of her path, so I hurried forward, hacking and pulling at the jungle to ease the way.

"Here it is," I announced softly as I pulled her into the grotto.

She stepped up beside me and gasped. "Oh my!"

"So what do you think?"

Her face was alight with pleasure at the glorious sight in front of her. "Edward, it's just beautiful. When did you find this place?" She walked along the rock shelf surrounding the pool, stepping gingerly where the rocks were less secure.

"Last week. I was collecting lava rocks for the cooking range, when I happened upon this place on my way back to camp."

She turned to me eagerly, a joyous smile spread across her face. It was the happiest I'd seen her since Jimmy threatened to come back for her.

"Can we swim?"

"If you want. Are you sure it's not too cold to get in the water?" During the last few days, the weather had been cooler as the hotter, wet season began to give way to the cooler, dry season.

She shook her head. "No, it's fine. Let's swim. We might not get another chance until next spring."

"Did you wear a swimsuit?"

"Nuh uh."

"Skinny dipping it is then," I said with a smirk. I immediately began stripping off my clothes. Bella eyed me with hooded lids and licked her lips invitingly. I returned her gaze with equal lust as I toed off my shoes and dropped my shorts. She pulled her top over her head and removed her own shorts until she was clad in a virginal, white lace balcony bra and barely-there panties. If I'd seen her dressed like _that_ this morning, she'd never have gotten out of our bedroom. I felt my dick react predictably to the sensuous display as she turned her back in a false show of modesty. Scooping her thick, long hair over one shoulder, she looked over her other one with a smoldering gaze, and slowly eye-fucked me from my head to my toes.

My dick twitched and I growled as I reached down to take myself in hand. Bella purred and while still watching me, reached behind her back and released the clips of her bra. She caught it with a hand and tossed it behind her where it landed on her shorts and top. My eyes were captured of their own volition as they followed the movement.

"Hmmm," she moaned. My head jerked back in her direction.

Arching her back sensuously, Bella brought her hands to rest on her hip bones, then hooked onto the sides of the panties to shimmy them down her legs. Her shapely ass was revealed inch by delectable inch drawing my attention like a thirsty man in front of a wet oasis. She side stepped out of the panties around her ankles. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head when she bent over right in front of me, and exposed her moistened outer lips.

I whimpered and tugged on my dick, panting like a dog when she grasped her ankles with elegant hands and glanced coyly between her parted legs.

"See something you like?"

I growled and leapt toward her. Bella's eyes widened and she began to stand up to evade me when I tackled her from behind, slipping inside her hot, moist sheath.

"Oh!" She breathed in a startled breath. Her body clenched around me making me grit my teeth as the pleasure surged through me. I twitched inside her as she bent over again. "Oh, ohh," she murmured as I began to move.

We stood at the edge of the pool as I fucked her from behind, alternating between short and long thrusts. I grunted in response to her moans as she met every thrust with a shove of her hips against my own. Reaching around her, I found her delicate clit and stroked it as I felt my balls begin to tighten.

"More," she panted. "Harder. Fuck me harder," she ordered. I saw one of her hands reach up to pluck at a nipple as her other one gripped the back of my thigh.

Who am I to argue with a commanding officer? I gave her what she wanted.

I increased my thrusts and the stroking of my fingers until they were in tandem bringing Bella quickly to the point of no return.

"Ohhh, ohhhh," she moaned as her legs began to quiver uncontrollably. I changed my angle until I was hitting her spongy G-spot with the bulbous head of my swollen dick with every thrust.

"Aghh," she screamed. I grinned. That's more like it. "Aghhhh! Oh, god. Edward! Oh, god. Ohh!" she gasped. A second later she went rigid, and then she was screaming and cumming all over me, milking me for all I was worth.

I let myself go, thrusting into her like a battering ram as my own climax overtook me. My legs were shaking with the effort to remain standing as I gave one last thrust, and then I was falling into blissful oblivion.

_Falling …_

Shit. I'm falling!

We both were.

I heard Bella's yelp of fright just before we both hit the water as we toppled off the ledge of the grotto's pool and sank like stones. The water was clear and warm against my hot skin as I slipped out of Bella. Her long chestnut hair floated around her in the water like an ethereal veil. Reaching out, I grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her with me as I kicked toward the surface.

Breaking through, Bella gasped in a lungful of air and started laughing. She swept her hair back and clung to me like a monkey, curving her legs around my hips as I treaded water in the deep pool. I grinned and laughed with her, then bent my head to take her soft mouth in a kiss of passion. She returned it ardently, slipping her tongue into my mouth to stroke mine into submission. I let her lead, as I forgot to tread water and we sank below the surface.

…

"Do you think perhaps we should start looking for the caves?" Bella asked me as she idly stroked my hair back from my forehead. She was sitting on the ledge of the pool with my head in her lap while I stretched out naked beside her. The sun shone through the crown of the trees like a halo, lighting our skin so it sparkled with a luminous quality.

"Hmmm," I mumbled distractedly. "Probably."

She was silent for a while as we basked in the sun. "Did you see Emmett's hunting getup this morning?" She giggled as she remembered the sight of Emmett wearing his camouflage clothes and helmet covered in stapled-on fern fronds to disguise himself from the birds.

"Yeah. He tried to convince Rosalie to wear a similar disguise. She glared at him like he was a turd smeared all over her Prada's and told him she'd wear _that_ in public on her last day on earth."

"He took one for her anyway. I wonder if he convinced her to wear it?" Bella mused.

The way Emmett was about a roasted bird, it wouldn't surprise me. I stood up and leaned down to help Bella to her feet. "We'd better get back to work." I handed her discarded clothes to her, and began to dress.

"Okay, Princess," I said with my hands on my hips, "where would _your_ ancestors hide their items of value?"

"Definitely caves and lava tubes. Did you look behind the waterfall?"

I blinked in surprise. Shading my eyes with my arms, I stared at the fast flowing waterfall, trying to see behind it. I couldn't see anything through the torrent of water.

"What makes you think there'd be a cave behind it?"

"This grotto was formed by the volcano wasn't it?" I nodded. "And the water is flowing out of the pool somewhere? I shrugged and nodded again as I looked around. I found the spot – a narrow lip – where the overflow of water drained out of the pool between some rocks and disappeared. "So the lava that formed this pool must have exited from the volcano somewhere close by," she stated.

My eyes widened. Why didn't I think of that? I began taking off my clothes again.

"What are you doing?"

"No point in getting our clothes wet, Bella." She inclined her head affirmatively as she chuckled and began disrobing again. I picked up the two waterproof flashlights we'd brought, handed her one, and then took her hand in mine. We edged slowly along the ledge of the pool toward the waterfall. "Hold on tight, Bella," I cautioned her. She nodded and followed close behind me.

As we reached the side of the waterfall, the sound became deafening. Now that I was closer, I could peer through the curtain of water. There was a natural concave ledge carved out of the rock wall. Pointing at the water, I indicated we should walk through it. Bella nodded and edged closer to me, grasping me around the waist with her arms. I took a deep breath, heard her do the same, and stepped into the waterfall. The flow of water was freezing against my warm skin. I felt Bella shudder as we took one, two, three steps and then we were out of it.

Bella clutched the flashlight between her legs so she could pull her soaking wet hair back and clear her eyes. I reached up to help wring the water from the thick swathe. "There's your cave entrance," she said, inclining her head to a spot behind me. I turned around. On the opposite side of the waterfall was an open doorway about three feet wide and about six feet high. It was obscured by ferns hanging from the roof and sides of the cavelet.

"Let's take a look," I said excitedly as I switched my flashlight on. Bella grinned and did the same, following close behind me. Parting the foliage, I led the way inside the entrance and stopped to shine the light around. "It's a lava tube alright."

Bella shone her light along the floor highlighting a number of hollowed out stone pots. "Those are lamps," she said. "The ancients would pour in kukui nut oil, or sometimes a whole nut with a wick and light it."

I shone my flashlight around the narrow tube and into the short distance. "It doesn't appear to be very deep – there's a larger cave a few yards ahead I think. Shall we look around?"

Bella worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "Yes, but let's move cautiously. No one knows we're here," Bella reminded me.

"We won't go any farther than the cave ahead, no matter what we find," I promised her. I knew that what we were about to do was foolish given what happened the last time we explored a lava tube, but I wanted to know if this cave would be suitable as a safe house or as a storage facility.

We moved forward carefully, stepping gingerly along the rough and rocky floor of the tube in our bare feet. There were more lamp pots – about one every yard on each side of the tube. They looked as though they hadn't be used in centuries, being full of dust and debris.

Coming to the entrance of the larger cave, we stopped and shone our flashlights into the room, arcing it along the walls, the ceiling and finally the floor. A set of four stone steps led down into a cave the size of a two-car garage. It would be big enough to use as a hiding place or as a storage facility. Bella walked slowly down the steps and over to the center of the cave to crouch down. I couldn't see what she was doing as she inspected something on the floor in the bright glow of her flashlight, but I heard her sigh and stand up. She looked into my eyes with a mixture of sadness and ... fear.

I was ecstatic by our discovery, but Bella was not.

"What's wrong?" I asked her as I ran down the steps toward her.

She ran forward to meet me. "We can't use this place, Edward. We need to leave. Now!" She stopped me from going further into the cave with her hands pressed flat to my chest. She pushed me back, hard.

My head reared back in surprise. "What? Why? This place is perfect. It's large enough to store all of our things and still have room for a hiding place. And it's close to camp. We may not find another like it-"

She cut me off. "No, Edward! We need to leave. We can't use this place," she repeated urgently. "Ever!"

"But why, Bella? Tell me … " I trailed off as my eyes traveled over her shoulder to the place where her flashlight still lay on the ground, lighting up the floor. I squinted into the dimness at the white collection of ... I stepped around Bella. "What the ... Is that a-"

"Skeleton? Yes," she confirmed as she bent down to pick up the discarded flashlight. "This cave is a burial ground. It's a sacred site. It's tabu. We can't use _this_ cave," she repeated. "Did you know the word 'tabu' formed the basis of the English word 'taboo'?" she asked me offhandedly.

"No I didn't," I responded quietly. I shone my light over the skeleton. It was lying on its side in the ground with its knees pulled up to its chest. The body lay within a shroud of some type of painted cloth. "What is that cloth? It looks familiar."

"That's tapa cloth. It's bark cloth made from the paper mulberry tree. It's what my ancestors made their clothes from. The didn't have fabric as we know it." Bella crouched down to cover the skeleton with the fragile cloth once again, leaving the body as she'd found it.

"Is it really impossible for us to use this cave?" I asked her.

She looked at me with an authoritative gaze. "Yes it is. If we deliberately use the cave for an unintended purpose, we'd be desecrating the site. I can't permit that. It goes against all my beliefs and my upbringing."

I sighed in disappointment, and kissed her forehead as she came back to me. "Okay. We'll look for something else," I conceded. She was relieved that I'd yielded to her. "But, Bella, if you're desperate for a place to hide, will you at least take refuge in the outer lava tube?"

Her mouth opened to object, but I cut her off. "_Please?_"

She agreed after a long moment of consideration. "Alright, but _only_ if it's absolutely necessary, and only as far as the outer tube. I _won't _come into the cave again no matter who or what the threat is."

I exhaled a frustrated breath, but was thankful for her concession. "Okay, let's go home." I voiced an afterthought when we stepped back through the curtain of water into the waning afternoon sunshine. "Can we still swim in the grotto pool?"

She rolled her eyes and groaned. "Yes."

…

I told dad about the burial cave while we fed the animals later that afternoon.

"You went in without letting anyone know?" Dad said, aghast. "Did you learn _nothing_ from your exploration of the western tube a month ago?" he hissed. We both glanced furtively around for Mom - we didn't want her overhearing.

"Yes, which is why we only explored a short distance inside the entrance. That's where we found the burial cave. Bella says we can't use it," I told Dad. The disappointment was evident in my voice.

"Then you need to listen to her. She's been extremely tolerant of our use of her people's artifacts to make our lives easier. That burial cave is akin to the cemeteries used by people today. We can't desecrate it for our own use."

"I know." I pouted childishly as I threw a bucket of food scraps to the chickens. The two of them flocked to the mound of vegetables and fruit, pecking at each other for first serving rights.

I'd just dumped an armful of cut grasses and another bucket of food scraps into the goat pen when Emmett literally skipped into camp holding two woven poultry cages. He was followed more sedately by a tired looking Rosalie carrying another one.

"I did it! I did it!" he crowed ecstatically. "I caught lunch. And you _all_ said my hunting outfit wouldn't work," he flouted at us.

The rest of the family came into the compound when they heard Emmett's cries of delight, not to mention the noise the squawking fowls he'd captured were making. Rosalie dropped her cage unceremoniously onto the ground and threw herself into a folding beach chair. Her hair was in disarray, a sheen of perspiration coated her face and her clothes were dirty and torn in places. She slipped her shoes off and pulled a foot up onto the opposite knee to rub her toes. She scowled at her husbands crowing.

"My goodness, did you find more chickens? How did you capture them?" Mom asked excitedly. She inspected Emmett's hands for peck marks. He didn't have any.

"Yes. Well no, but we captured a rooster. Will that do?"

Mom squealed. "Yes! Oh yes, Emmett. With a rooster we can breed some chicks so we can have meat and more eggs."

"I knew you'd be happy about that. We did see a couple more hens after that, but we left them alone when we spotted Thanksgiving lunch," Emmett explained.

"And what would that be?" asked Dad. He wore a huge smile as he looked upon his very happy wife.

"Are you ready for this?" Emmett broached teasingly.

Dad quirked his brows. Mom bounced a little on her toes, and Alice and Bella peered into the cages that Emmett clutched in his hands.

Bella looked up with a grin of recognition on her face. "No way," she gasped.

Alice was perplexed. "What _are _those?"

One of the fowls gobbled and its friend answered.

Mom gasped and stepped closer to the cages. "My god, is that a turkey?"

"Yep." Emmett boasted. "It seems to be some type of bush turkey. They're not as big as normal turkeys, but they're definitely turkeys. We got two of 'em." Emmett puffed out his chest proudly.

Jasper and I grinned at our brother's antics. He said he'd get a turkey for Thanksgiving lunch and he delivered.

"How'd you catch 'em, Emmett," Jasper voiced the question we were all dying to ask.

"I tamed 'em with food," he told us proudly. He was like a little boy as he recounted the story. "Drew them towards the cage with lots of tasty morsels and when they were inside eating up the dessert course, I pulled the string holding the door up and BANG, they were trapped."

Rosalie scowled from her perch on the beach chair. Her foot thumped to the ground as she huffed at her husband. She tapped her foot agitatedly and glared at him with an expression bordering on disgust.

Emmett beamed with satisfaction as he accepted congratulations from everyone, until his gaze landed on his wife, that is. He paled and jumped to explain her part in the capture of lunch.

"Ahm, it was Rosie's idea," he qualified hurriedly. "She got the idea from Bella's tales of the Hawaiian's tamin' the sharks. After we spotted them, we didn't know how we'd be able to catch them without chasing them all over the island. We watched them for a while as they pecked in the ground, and that's when Rosie had the idea."

Rosalie's expression mellowed somewhat in response to her husbands confession.

"We took those new bird traps I made," continued Emmett. "We camouflaged them with foliage and laid a trail of food from their scratching spots to the traps. Then we sat back to wait. It took hours, but eventually we got two of them."

"That must have been boring?" remarked Alice.

"Not really," whispered Rose with a sly wink at Alice. Alice blushed and giggled. Emmett remained oblivious as he basked in Mom and Bella's praise.

Jazz and I sniggered. "It sounds like Em and Rose found a satisfying way to pass the time," I said to him."

"And you and Bella didn't?" he scoffed.

I wiped the smirk from my face. "What about you and Alice?" I hissed. "You two were gone for longer than we were."

"At least _we_ didn't come back empty handed," he retorted, pointing at the logs of Koa wood and Alona bushes he'd found.

I showed him my middle finger. _Asshole!_

He grinned when I couldn't come up with a more suitable response, walking off to inspect the turkeys and shake Emmett's hand.

…

That night, I was sitting in a chair in our bedroom draped in a towel while Bella cut my hair. She'd told me she used to cut her Dad's hair before he died. Her assurances didn't stop me from worrying. I might normally wear the regulation short-back-and-sides, but that didn't lessen my inbred vanity. I _wanted_ my hair to look good. I cringed as another lock floated to the floor.

"Stop worrying," she scolded me. "It's not that hard to cut a mans hair and yours is even easier. You've got so many cowlicks over your scalp, I just have to mess it up with my hands and trim off an inch or so."

"Will you let _me_ cut _your_ hair?" I asked her slyly.

Silence.

"Well?"

"Er ..."

"Thought so," I scorned.

Bella combed her fingers through my shortened strands when she finished, massaging my scalp with her fingertips as she went. I groaned. "Um, Edward?" she said tentatively.

"Hmmm, yeah?"

"Um, when the pirates were here ..."

I sat up straighter in my chair. "Yes?"

"Um, you announced to everyone that I was … um … that I was your wife," she whispered. "Did you mean that, o-or was it just something you said in the heat of the moment?"

I turned around in my chair to look up at her. She was worrying at her lip again, chewing the tender flesh between her small, white teeth. I was wondering when she might bring this up. I admit to having avoided the topic myself while I thought about what I'd say. I'd come to a conclusion this morning and I should have talked to her about it today, but we got distracted.

I answered her question. "Yes."

She looked disappointed. "Oh. Um, okay, sure. We all say things in the heat of the moment we don't mean. We'll just forget about it," she answered quietly. She turned away to place the scissors on her bedside table. I thought I heard her sniffle.

What? I shook my head in confusion. What? "No, Bella!" I said as I stood up to stand behind her. I grasped her delicate shoulder bones in my large hands. "Bella, I _meant _that I do _think_ of you as my wife. I _want_ to marry you."

She turned around in my arms. "You do?"

"Yes, of course I do. I _love_ you, Isabella Manulani Swan. Of course I want to marry you." I kissed her, drawing her into me until we both had to come up for air. "And as soon as we get off this bloody island, I'll ask your grandmother for your hand in marriage and we can do the deed."

She grinned and threw herself at me, climbing my body to clasp my hips firmly between her thighs. I wonder if she used to be a gymnast. "I love you too," she said as she gripped my neck tightly in her arms. "I'm gonna be a navy wife," she sang happily as she kissed my face repeatedly.

I drew back to see her face when I teased her. "Is _that_ the attraction?"

She pouted as she pretended to consider. "Maybe," she teased back. "Perhaps I just lust after older men in uniform."

"Why, you little Lolita," I cried as I tickled her sides. She immediately began to wiggle against me, fighting to get away between peals of uncontrollable laughter.

"Edward, stop! Please. Stop!" she shrieked. "I'll pee all over you," she threatened between gasping breaths.

"No you won't," I refuted as I ceased my tickling. "Let's see how strong this bed really is." I leapt toward the bed with her clutched in my arms. We landed safely, bouncing on the expensive mattresses, but making the bed creak ominously. I rolled us over so Bella was lying over the top of me when one side of the bed collapsed to the floor with a loud crash.

Bella burst into guffaws of laughter, snorting through her nose. _Now that's attractive!_

"What the hell's going on up there?" Dad yelled up the stairs.

I groaned as I slipped off the broken bed, landing on my back against the floor.

_Oh, fuck it!_

…

Emmett and I patrolled the beach before breakfast, so we could begin to set the antenna mast as soon as we finished eating. There was no sign of the MORTE, nor any other ships in the large ocean. It was an endless seascape of unrelenting blue.

"When do you think they'll be back?" Emmett asked me.

I tensed slightly, then kicked at the sand. "Soon. I don't trust the way Jimmy looked at Bella."

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I worry about Rosalie as well. When she mouthed off to him, I nearly died on the spot."

I swallowed. "Jimmy admired Rose as well," I opined quietly.

Emmett grunted. "I know."

I stared at him with a promise of reassurance in my gaze. "We won't let _anything_ happen to them, Emmett."

"No _we_ won't," he agreed grimly.

…

"Okay, when I give the word, everyone needs to pull on the ropes," ordered Emmett as we prepared to hoist the antenna mast into its hole. "Does everyone have their gloves?"

There was a chorus of yeses. Alice had made eight new pairs of gloves using the iguana skins we'd been saving after our two pairs from Victory finally fell apart. Jasper tanned the skins for her making a soft, supple and strong leather that could be used to make shoes, belts and fasteners as well as the gloves.

"Edward, are you ready with the stones and rocks to fill the hole?" Emmett asked me.

"Yep." A mound of rubble was situated close by, ready to be swept into the space around the mast.

"Rosalie, are you ready with the mud to fill the gaps between the stones?"

"Yes." She was surrounded by a dozen containers full of thick mud, including the kitchen pots. Mom and Bella weren't too happy about Em's alternative use for their precious cooking implements. They made him promise to rinse them out before he brought them inside to be washed.

He nodded, apparently satisfied that his workers were all on the job, and looked up into the tree. "You ready up there, Bella?"

"Ready," she called back. I looked up into the tree to find Bella tethered to the upper branches by numerous ropes that wound around her body. It was the only way I would agree to her being in the tree. Jasper tied her in and assured me she couldn't move more than one foot in any direction. She was as secure as he could make her.

"Okay, here goes. On the count of three. One … two … three … pull!"

Emmett and Mom pulled on one rope while Jasper, Dad and Alice pulled on another one. Each of the ropes was wound over a pulley wheel suspended from different points in the tree with one end of each rope attached to the mast – near the top under the antenna, and two thirds of the way down. Each small group stood next to one of the many palm trees in the clearing so they could tie off their ropes if the need arose.

"Pull!"

The top of the mast began to lift into the air at a sharp angle as Emmett called out 'pull' between each long heave on the ropes. One foot … two feet … three feet … five feet … nine feet …

"Hold it, Emmett yelled. "Tie off your ropes." Emmett ran forward to the swinging mast to position the base over the hole. "Throw a couple of buckets of gravel in will you, Edward?" I did as he asked. He tied a rope around a metal hook he'd attached near the base of the mast. "Ally come here and hold this, please." She ran over and he handed her the rope. "Okay, Alice, when we start to heave on the ropes again, I want you to guide the base of the mast into the hole using this rope. Do you think you can do that."

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes."

"Edward, tell me when the mast is just about to touch the bottom."

"Okay."

He ran back to his rope. Each group took hold of their ropes and braced their feet on the ground. On Emmett's word, they released the knots that held the mast suspended in mid air.

"Pull!" yelled Emmett.

Twelve feet.

I looked up into the tree to check on Bella. She was still tethered securely in place and looking down at the action on the ground.

"Pull!"

Fifteen feet.

Alice guided the base of the mast into the hole. With each subsequent pull on the ropes, more of the mast settled into the hole until the base was just about resting on the gravel I'd thrown in.

"It's nearly there," I yelled to Emmett.

"Okay. Tie off," he ordered again. He came running over to verify the status for himself. Planting his feet either side of the hole, he manuouvered the mast until it was more or less centered and told me to throw in a mix of stones and larger rocks. "That's enough." He released the mast and handed Alice a bubble level, which had been laying on the ground. "Alice, hold this against the mast so we know it's straight. I don't want it leaning over too much."

"Okay," she answered cheerfully. She held it against the mast … the wrong way round, making Emmett pause.

"Um, Alice?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know _how_ to use a bubble level?" He took it from her and turned it the right way round.

"Oh." She shrugged.

Emmett rolled his eyes. "When that green bubble is in the center of those two lines in the glass window – that's level. If the bubble's outside of either of the lines by even a small degree, then it's _not_ level. Got that?"

"Got it!" She grinned and bounced on her toes.

Emmett eyed her worriedly. "Watch her," he said to me as he strode away. Alice poked her tongue out at his retreating back. I snickered at the good-natured banter.

It took a while to pull the heavy mast into a level, upright position in the hole. As soon as it was level and resting against the trunk of the tree in the spaces made by Jasper's removal of the branches, I started throwing in more stones. Following each bucket of rubble, Rose poured in a container of mud until the hole was filled and the mast was reasonably stable. When the mud dried, it would make the mast secure in the ground baring an earthquake or an apocalyptic flood.

Bella yelled down from her spot in the canopy of the tree. "I've got a hold of it."

Jasper stretched his muscles to release the tension. "Can you hold it for five or ten minutes, Bella? I need to relax my muscles before I climb the tree."

"Sure I can. Take your time," she called down.

Mom was exhausted by the time the 1,200 pound pole was fully upright against the tree, and she collapsed to the ground. When I'd offered to take Mom's place, Dad had voiced an emphatic, _'No!'_ and a heartfelt sorry to Mom. Jasper and Emmett tied off their ropes while Dad assisted Mom to her feet and into a seat in the shade.

Jasper fixed himself into the harness attached to the safety rope hanging from the tree and began to climb it. He moved easily from branch to branch and reached Bella's position in less than a minute.

"Okay, Bella, let's attach this first anchor to secure the top of the mast, and then I'll take you down. Are you ready."

"Yes."

I couldn't see clearly what they were doing since they were 40 feet higher in the tree, but I knew the procedure from Jasper's briefing earlier this morning. The holes for the heavy-duty anchor bolts salvaged from Victory had already been drilled into the tree. Jasper would wind a section of the steel sail rigging around the mast and bolt each end to the tree. He'd repeat the process at strategic places along the trunk as he worked his way down the tree. Six feet of the mast was sunk into the ground and the tree was 40 feet high. That left 24 feet of mast above the highest point of the canopy, and the antenna was near the top of the mast. I crossed my fingers this would work.

Thirty minutes later they were finished with the first anchor, and Jasper prepared to bring Bella down the tree. I watched with my breath held as he attached her harness to another safety rope and loosened the cords that tethered her body to the trunk of the tree.

"Okay, Bella, we're gonna go down the same way we came up. You're gonna climb down. The safety harness and rope will stop you from falling if you slip."

She nodded. "Okay."

"You ready?"

She took a deep breath. "Yes, I'm ready."

Bella was slower coming down than she was going up, because she couldn't see where to place her feet and hands, without stopping to look down each time. I watched her with trepidation as she made her way to the bottom branches of the banyan fig stopping on the lowest branch, 8 feet from the ground. Emmett stepped forward.

"Okay, Bella, you're on the last branch before the ground," Jasper said from the one above her.

"Alright."

"I want you to step off the branch. The safety rope will break your fall. Emmett will catch you and bring you down the rest of the way. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Her voice quavered with nervousness.

"Don't drop her, Em," I whispered to him.

He turned to look at me with reassuring confidence. "I won't."

"Here goes," squeaked Bella.

She took another deep breath and stepped off the lower branch, immediately dropping two feet in a rapid fall, before being wrenched to a stop by the safety line. She was startled and yelped reflexively, reaching out with her hands toward the tree.

Emmett reached up with his muscled arms and clasped them around her upper legs. "I've got her."

"Okay, I'll let out her safety line and you can pull her down," Jasper said.

A few moments later she was on the ground smiling and releasing the harness from her hips and legs. "Thanks, Emmett. You too, Jasper."

"No problem, Bella, that's what big brothers are for," Emmett said jovially as he gathered her harness and safety line up, after Jasper released it from the tree. Jasper voiced a similar sentiment before ascending again to finish the remaining anchors.

I wrapped my arms around Bella's shoulders as I walked her over to the outside table where the others were recovering from their hard labor. I picked up one of her gloved hands to inspect it. "Do you have any splinters?"

"One I think. It pierced the glove on the fleshy part of my hand where it meets my thumb."

"We'll let Dad take a look at it."

"Okay. Will you take off my other glove for me, please? I don't think I can do it with the splinter in my other hand."

We stopped so I could remove her glove. I inspected her hand for damage. It was red from the strain of holding the branches, but otherwise it was uninjured.

"Dad, Bella has a splinter embedded in her hand through the glove," I announced as we reached the table.

"Let me see." He inspected the entry site. We could see the long splinter protruding from the glove. "Come inside. I'll need to remove the splinter first and then the glove before I can treat the wound."

We trudged tiredly inside to Dad's new office behind the stairs and Bella took a seat on the examination table. Dad brought over his rolling tray of covered instruments, then situated another rolling table in front of Bella and placed her hand, palm side up, on the table. After washing his hands, he pulled on a pair of surgical gloves and picked up the medical tweezers.

"Keep still. This might hurt," he warned. He gripped the splinter firmly and pulled it out of Bella's hand in one quick motion. It caught slightly on the leather as it came free.

Bella inhaled sharply as it was removed, but otherwise she didn't react to the pain she must have felt. Dad used the tweezers to explore under the glove to ensure it was free, before asking me to remove it.

"Okay, let's take a look." Dad picked up a magnifying glass to inspect the bleeding wound. He wiped away a trickle of blood and pressed gently around the tiny incision, making her flinch slightly. "Okay, there's a piece still in your hand, Bella. I'm going to remove it. Do you want a local anesthetic? I have a topical spray, which will numb the skin."

"No, it's okay."

"Yes," I said at the same time. Bella quirked a brow at me as Dad looked between the both of us. A small smirk played around his mouth. I shrugged. "I don't want you to be in pain," I whined.

Bella rolled her eyes and turned back to Dad. "It seems I _do_ want an anesthetic after all."

…

That evening, we all gathered around the TV as Rosalie plugged in the antenna cable. She turned the set on and we watched with breaths held as the dark screen lit up a bright blue for the first time in over three months. The only image on the screen was the brand logo for the appliance – Sanyo. I gave her the security code for the American Forces Network (AFN) set top box so she could tune it in, and crossed my fingers. Emmett handed her the TV remote wringing his hands nervously as we waited.

We all watched anxiously as the TV went through hundreds of possible carrier frequencies looking for stations. We became disheartened as the frequency numbers rose and changed with seemingly no captures made.

Emmett wiped sweat from his forehead and Jasper's left leg jiggled up and down. Bella chewed at her lip. Alice chewed on her nails and Mom chewed on her hair. Dad and Rosalie were the only calm ones in the room.

Rosalie sigh as she turned around to face us. "Okay. It's finished. Let's see what it found." She sat down on Emmett's lap where he was sitting on the sofa and returned the TV to 'viewing' mode. I held my breath tensely as she pressed the 'list' button on the remote. Two free-to-air commercial stations appeared on the screen:

1. Australia Network, Asia Pacific

2. Channel 4, American Samoa

An almighty cheer rose up in the room. Emmett reared to his feet almost dumping his pregnant wife on the floor as he danced around with Jasper. They laughed and whooped like little boys. Rosalie shook her head at their antics as Dad stepped forward and leaned down to help her to her feet.

"Pick a station," said Mom excitedly.

Rose grinned and selected channel 4. The images and sounds of a Simpson's episode blasted from the TV. I could hardly believe it, but the image and sound were crystal clear. Jazz and Emmett halted with their arms around each other as they stared at the TV with slack jaws and glazed eyes. I chuckled as they floated over to the sofa and planted their rumps in center position in front of the screen.

"Hmmm, television," moaned Emmett, impersonating Homer Simpson.

"Mmgghhh," Rosalie growled as she imitated Marge.

The rest of us burst into laughter. Hugging Bella, we kissed and celebrated the return of television in our lives. Em and Jazz shushed us with waves of their hands and turned up the volume. We all settled down to watch the Simpson's as a family. I _hated_ the Simpson's.

"Switch the broadcast to the AFN box would you, Rose?" I asked her when the Simpson's episode ended. "I want to watch the news." I rubbed my hands together in anticipation.

"Okay, here goes," she said. The AFN channel list appeared on the screen. It was blank for a moment and I moaned in disappointment. I _really_ thought we might pick it up due to the relay transmissions to navy ships cruising the Pacific. I was about to tell Rose to change it back to channel 4, when AFN Korea appeared on the top of the screen. Four stations appeared in the channel list.

1. Prime Pacific

2. News

3. Sport

4. Movies

My eyes widened. "Try them all," I whispered. I held my breath as Rose went through the channels, pausing for a few moments to check the reception on each one. Prime had average reception; News was really clear; Sport was pretty good and Movies was so-so. It was good enough. Reception would depend on the weather and the quality of the relays. I would have been happy with the two free-to-air stations. The AFN was a bonus. I settled back to watch the 5.30 news with Bella snuggled against my side.

Murders, car crashes, protests and corrupt politicians. It was pretty much the same type of news as when we'd left Honolulu over three months ago. At least the world hadn't ended while we'd been away. The news program was winding down for the sport and weather. I was about to go upstairs for a leak when the next news report left me flabbergasted. I simply could not believe the timing as I listened to the voice of the news reader.

"_This next report was released today by the US Navy and the US Coast Guard. Navy Lieutenant Edward A. Cullen and his immediate family disappeared at sea last August without a trace while cruising the North Pacific on a family cruise."_

"Shsssh," I hissed at my family as they babbled around me. "Listen!"

"_Lieutenant Cullen's boat, The Victory was last heard from on August 15th, when they reported they were on their way back to Honolulu with an expected arrival date of August 20th. A joint US Coast Guard, Australian Navy and US Navy search failed to find any trace of The Victory, and no wreckage has been found. _

"_Following more than three months of government and private searches, the Navy has called off its operation, reporting Lieutenant Cullen as missing at sea, presumed dead. Lieutenant Cullen was accompanied on the cruise by his parents, Doctor Carlisle and Mrs Esme Cullen. Joining them on the cruise were the senior Cullen's two elder sons and their wives. They are Emmett and Rosalie Cullen, and Jasper and Alice Cullen. _

"_Also on board The Victory and presumed dead, is Isabella Manulani Swan, the hereditary Princess of the former Kingdom of Hawaii. Miss Swan's grandmother, reigning Princess A'ala Leilani Kealoha Swan is reported as saying that she believes her granddaughter is alive and will one day be found safe and well. A memorial service will be held for the Cullen family in Honolulu next Monday._

"_The sport and weather is next ..."_

I reached for the remote and switched off the TV. Bella sat ramrod straight on the sofa beside me staring at the blank screen. My family stared at _her_ with wide-eyed looks of astonishment. Mom blinked and fixed her gaze on me. She narrowed her eyes at my lack of surprise at the news of Bella's heritage. Our presumed death was old news, but Bella being a Princess was not.

"Is that true?" gasped Mom. "You're a Princess? Of Hawaii?"

Bella answered in a whisper. "Yes."

"You knew about this?" Dad asked me quietly.

I flushed. "Um, yes."

Dad coughed. "Well...er...well," he flustered, unable to think of a suitable response to the stunning news. Alice and Emmett – not so much.

Alice curtsied and Emmett bowed.

I closed my eyes and groaned.

Bella nearly died of embarrassment. "Ohhh," she moaned as she face planted into her open palms. "Good grief!"

…

A/N: Photos for the chapter are on my blog and the link is: jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com

Next on Wrecked with Bella: Thanksgiving, which didn't happen in his chapter due to the length, and a hunt _for_ …? You tell me. Give it your best guess. Things will be hotting up with Jimmy who has a nefarious agenda other than what he's searching for.

Thank you to everyone who is supporting Wrecked with Bella. I have recently posted on AO3 under the pen-name Jkazzie, so you can find this story over there if you want/need to and the link is on my blog. I was recently asked to do an author interview by Twi/VD Fic Recs. The link is also on my blog on the 'About' page if you'd like to read it. Thanks to Lolo84 for making it happen.

I got my northern hemisphere seasons mixed up with the southern hemisphere seasons in earlier chapters – apologies. I will go back and fix any references, but for now, you should know that the dry season (pleasantly warm and dryer with cooler nights) in the North Pacific tropics runs roughly Oct/Nov to Mar/Apr and the wet season (stinking hot and disgustingly humid) runs roughly Apr/May to Sep/Oct. Therefore the Cullen's are coming out of the wet summer and heading into the cooler winter months.

The Hawaiian poppy sap is toxic to humans, but the Hawaiians used it for medicinal purposes. Any reference to using the sap as a poison to fight enemies is purely from my imagination. For all I know, the ancient Polynesians did use it as a useful poison, but I couldn't find a definitive reference. The cardiac arrest is true if taken in large enough doses.

The recipe for black gun powder is available on the web, though I didn't research the quantities. Suffice to say, the ingredients to make it are naturally occurring on the island and are available to the Cullen's. Edward will put his chemistry expertise to good work.

I did a lot of research on Hawaiian weapons. I wouldn't have wanted to be in a fight with an ancient Polynesian wielding a club or knife full of sharks teeth. Makes me shiver just thinking about it. The ancient Hawaiians used Koa wood, sharks teeth, marlin bills and cordage made from the Alona plant to make lethal weapons.

I couldn't find any reliable information on how to hoist a 70 foot pole into a hole and upright into the air, so I made it all up. All errors are mine alone.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Yay, True Blood season 5 has come to Australia and we're only one week behind scheduling in America.

…

Chapter 25 – Thanksgiving Games

Thanksgiving dawned bright and clear, promising to be a lovely day. My gaze was drawn to the bright blue sky I could see through the open window from my prone position on the bed. The last few days had been frantic with preparations for a celebration and war, coupled with worry over the pirates. Everything remained quiet on the war front, but our arrangements proceeded full-steam-ahead.

Jasper carved a knuckle-duster from the Koa wood, scratching out a narrow channel for the four sharks teeth to rest in. He attached them, equally spaced along the curved blade of the weapon, using strands taken from one of our ropes. He fastened them carefully, threading the string through the tiny holes he'd painstakingly drilled. He studied Bella's intricate diagram and explicit instructions frequently until he was happy with the final result.

We tested the weapon on last night's dinner of iguana-chicken before Jasper skinned the dead animal. The razor sharp blade of the knuckle-duster sliced jaggedly through the tough, reptilian skin like it was soft butter. My eyes sparkled triumphantly as they met those of my equally impressed brothers and father. The weapon would definitely cause damage to the unfortunate person on the receiving end. Now, we only needed extra shark's teeth to make more weapons. Jasper and I fixed our plans to venture to the fishing village the next morning, leaving at first light.

But for today, we had Thanksgiving to celebrate, regardless of the threat the pirates made to our wellbeing and our new way of life. The two butchered turkeys Emmett and Rosalie had caught were in the fridge ready and waiting to be roasted. Rosalie and Alice asked for the feathers planning to make some decorations with them. Jasper said they could have the long tail feathers, but not the others – he insisted we keep them for future use, such as filling for quilts and pillows.

Yesterday during an unexpectedly wet and windy afternoon, Alice and Rose put their various craft skills to good use by decorating beeswax candles for the table and making wreaths from palm fruit branches decorated with some of the red fruit. Arrangements of tropical flowers dotted the living areas and the house was aromatic with the scent of holiday spices taken sparingly from our precious store cupboard of non-perishable items.

Bella stretched out beside me in our newly repaired bed and opened her eyes, blinking slowly to clear the last vestiges of sleep.

"Hmmm, good morning, love. Happy Thanksgiving," she greeted me sleepily.

Leaning down, I kissed her soft mouth gently and returned the sentiment, "Happy Thanksgiving, my darling."

She smiled in response to the endearment. "What time is it?"

"It's a little before six." I pulled Bella closer so I could cuddle her in my arms. She slipped a knee between my legs and rubbed her cheek across my chest. I brushed her long hair away from her face, combing my fingers through the tangled strands flowing across her shoulders and down her back.

"I need to get up," she said through a yawn.

"Lunch isn't 'til one. Why not lie in bed with me for a while longer?" I suggested hopefully.

Bella's fingers gently traced the sparse hairs across my chest. "Hmmm, sounds great, but I can't. Esme and I have a lot to do this morning. We're going to need every minute between now and lunch."

My mouth twisted into a disappointed pout. "Please, Bella, just stay a little while longer? I love lying with you like this while we listen to the island waking up."

She tapped her fingers on the hard muscle of my chest, considering her options. "Is Esme up and about?"

"Not yet." Crossing my fingers, I hoped Mom's sleep-in would be incentive enough to keep Bella in bed awhile longer.

"Okay, I'll stay a little longer, 'til Esme gets up. But then I've got to go. Okay?"

"Okay," I agreed, grinning triumphantly. We cuddled closer under the sheets and blankets. I continued to stroke her silky soft hair as we dozed and listened to the birds and animals starting their own day.

...

Twenty minutes later, Bella climbed from our bed after Mom knocked on our door on her way downstairs. She dressed quickly, kissed me briefly and hurried from the room. Stretching out in the bed, I lay dozing off and on for another hour, only waking to Emmett's howl of pain from outside my window in the yard.

"You _fucking_ Jezebel!" he yelled from the side of the house. I heard him hissing as he berated the she-devil. "If you weren't connected to that _effing_ udder Mom likes so much, I'd chop you up and use you as shark bait. Don't think I won't," he promised the goat. "We need sharks teeth and I bet they'd just _love_ a leg of goat for dinner."

I snickered as Emmett's voice trail off when he dragged the goat back to her pen. Stretching out, I decided I might as well get up and start my own day. Pulling some clean underwear, shorts and a T-shirt from my open suitcase on the floor, I headed to the shower to freshen up and cut the queue before lunch. When I arrived downstairs, Jasper was in the living room watching yesterdays episode of Good Morning America while he flipped through the pages of several open encyclopedia's.

"Any luck?" I asked him as I flung myself onto the sofa. The sounds of Mom and Bella cooking in the kitchen carried into the room.

"Not yet. There are records of a couple of ships disappearing in the Pacific, but the time frame looks wrong. The reported origins of the missing ships don't gel with the gold's likely source either."

"How do you know?"

"I dated the gold plates to between 1720 and 1750. That tells me the ship carrying them as cargo likely sank well before Captain Cook's arrival in the Pacific in 1769. So I don't think it's a British ship."

Nodding my head in understanding, I sat forward on the sofa and dangled my hands between my legs in a contemplative posture. "You've confirmed the origin of the gold?"

"Yeah, I think so. I believe it's Spanish ... or possibly Portuguese."

My eyes widened and my heart thumped as my risk alertness rose a level. "Portuguese?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?" I asked him with a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Yes, why?"

"The pirates, _our_ pirates - their ship is called the MORTE."

"Yeah, so?"

"It's Portuguese. It means 'death'. What are the chances that MORTE and the source of the gold both being Portuguese, is a strange coincidence?"

Jasper's eyes widened in comprehension. "Not very big."

"Concentrate on looking for Portuguese ships, or any other ships that might have been carrying Portuguese gold. I think we'll find a connection, and I want to know _what _we're dealing with."

"I'm on it."

I sat back, satisfied that Jasper would figure it out. "Do you smell that?" I asked him as a yeasty scent wafted in from the kitchen.

He sniffed the air. "Yeah. Smells like bread."

"That's not very likely, is it?" I scoffed mildly.

Jasper chuckled and shrugged. "I don't know about that, Eddie. Mom and Bella are pretty resourceful."

"Yes they are," I agreed, thinking about some of the wonderful meals we'd eaten, cooked by their hands.

Mom came into the living room wiping her hands on a dish-towel. "Hello, boys."

"Morning, Mom. Happy Thanksgiving," I said as I stood to greet her with a kiss to her forehead.

"Same to you, son. I'm glad you two are here. Can you go and find some firewood? I'd like to light a fire in our new fireplace this evening. It was a little chilly last night."

Jasper closed his reference books and stacked them on the side table as he stood up. "Sure we can, Mom. Where are the others?"

"Emmett is escorting Rosalie and Alice while they forage for knickknacks. They want to make some more decorations for the table. Your father is in his office testing the poppy sap for toxicity something-or-other." She waved her arm airily. "Though I don't know how," she added as an offhand remark.

Jasper's mouth curved in a half-smile. "Okay, we'll just tell Dad we're going out. We won't be long."

"Okay, thank you, boys." Mom bustled back into the kitchen, ready to tackle the next task on her considerable list.

I knocked on Dad's office door and pushed it open. "Hi, Dad."

He looked up from his hunched position over a microscope. It boggled my mind the amount of medical equipment he'd managed to cram onto my boat while I'd been none the wiser.

"Hello, Edward, Jasper. What can I do for you?"

I gestured toward the equipment and the petri dishes full of viscous yellow sap. "How's it going?"

Dad looked back to his experiments. "Oh, it's going fine. I'm trying to determine the sap's characteristics."

Jasper walked forward to look into the microscope eyepiece. "What have you concluded?"

Dad stood with his hands in the pocket of his white doctors coat. "Bella is correct. The sap _is_ rather lethal in high doses. It contains a high concentration of toxic alkaloids. In small doses it causes deep sleep. Larger doses _will_ cause death. It also contains trace amounts of narcotic alkaloids. In effect, this species of poppy is a poorer cousin to the opium poppy."

Jasper and I stared at Dad in astonishment.

"What? Like the drug?" Jasper said.

"Yes, very much so. Like all poppies, it contains elements of opium and morphine, even codeine. In this species of the plant the quantities are quite small, but it's probably why the ancient Hawaiian's used it to treat toothache."

"How'd you find all this out?" I asked.

We all exchanged knowing glances as the answer became obvious. "Bella!" the three of us sang together.

Dad chuckled. "Yes, _and_ I looked it up in one of my scientific texts. The reference was negligible, but it did cite the primary alkaloid properties. There was a footnote on the affects of the sap on mice in laboratory experiments."

"Can _you_ adapt it for medicinal purposes?" I asked curiously. I knew our supply of drugs wouldn't last indefinitely. Even if we didn't use them all before we were rescued, some of them had a use-by date. Refrigeration in Dad's tiny drug cabinet would only preserve them for so long.

His expression was reflective. "Maybe. If I knew more about _how_ the Hawaiian's prepared it, I might be able to develop a safe narcotic – separate the toxic elements from the medicinal elements."

"Well once we take care of Jimmy and Co. you'll have time to work on it," I pointed out. "We're going on an errand for Mom, and Emmett's out with Rosalie and Alice. Can you keep an eye on Mom and Bella? They're in the kitchen." Mom was notoriously snarky when she cooked for the major celebrations. We'd all learned to keep out of her way, but present circumstances called for vigilance.

Dad paled for a moment before stiffening his resolve. "Yes, of course," he said bravely. "I'm finished here for the moment. I'll make a pest of myself and keep them company even if your mother makes a fuss. Will you be long?"

Jasper answered for us. "Not more than an hour, if that. We won't be going far."

Jazz and I were walking out the front door, when we heard Mom screech from the kitchen as Dad invaded her domain. "What are you doing in here, Carlisle? You're in the way. Get out!"

"Now, Maisy, I won't cause any trouble. I'm just here to guard – er, keep you company," he corrected hurriedly. Dad's voice rose worriedly as he called out to Mom. "Maisy? Maisy, what are you doing? Esme what is that? Esme, put _that _down. Es-meee!" he roared.

We heard something strike the kitchen door with a splat. It sounded messy. I turned around to see Dad scurry up the stairs, with what looked like papaya flesh sliding off his head and down the back of his shirt. Jazz and I looked at each other and grinned as we escaped down the front steps.

…

"Did Emmett find a football game to watch on TV?" I asked Jasper, as I picked up a log of firewood and laid it in his open arms.

"Nothing yet. We don't have a programming schedule, so he's relying on adverts for information. What's more, the reception on AFN sports keeps going in and out. He's terrified the station won't be available at all."

I chuckled, but I also sympathized with Emmett's dilemma. I wouldn't mind watching a game myself. "I think we've got enough, let's go back," I suggested. We walked back toward the camp, stopping to pick up the first stack of wood we'd collected. I bent down to scoop the stack up, when something hidden by the underbrush caught my eye. Squinting, I peered into the dimness.

"Hey, Jazz. Get a look at this."

"What is it?"

I fought my way through the thick foliage, stepping over a rotting log. "It looks like another tiki."

Jasper stepped up beside me, inspecting it curiously. "Is it the same as the last one, Bella found?"

I studied it more closely. "I don't think so, but it looks similar. It's about the same size and it looks to be made of the same wood. This one's in worst condition I think. See where the wood has rotted near the base?" I pointed the decay out to him.

Jasper crouched down to brush the grasses and shrubs away from the tiki base, scratching at the decaying wood, which frayed away like sawdust. "Hey, there's something in here." He removed his fingers from the rotting hole, holding up a thin metal disc about the size of a quarter. It was discolored from age and exposure.

I bent and looked over his shoulder as he scraped at the disc with his thumb nail. "What is it?"

He held the burnished disc out on the palm of his hand. "It's a gold coin," he said excitedly as he stood up. He turned and held his hand out to me. "And by the looks of it, it was minted in 1719 … _in_ Portugal," he announced.

My lips parted and my eyes widened in shock. Picking up the coin, I turned it around in my fingers, squinting at the embossed numbers and letters on its face. The center of the coin held a gold cross with writing around the edges. How did a gold coin get inside a Polynesian tiki statue and what's more, why is it inside?

"See if there are any more." I told Jasper. He nodded and bent down to scrape more of the rotting wood away. A few more gold coins slid out onto the ground. "I don't think that's a coincidence." I remarked.

"No, neither do I," he agreed. "I think we just discovered _how_ whoever brought this gold here, hid it for safekeeping."

"You don't think it was the native Hawaiian's?"

Jasper shook his head emphatically. "No. I don't believe they would desecrate their idols by hiding gold inside them. Gold was meaningless to them. We need to have Bella inspect this statue, _and_ we need to decide what to do about the gold. I bet the other tiki Bella found is full of gold as well."

I nodded. "Yeah, I think so as well. There are probably more of these idols on this island. If the pirates are looking for gold on a ship wreck, I don't think they're gonna find it."

Jasper looked at me worriedly. "I don't think so either, and that makes _them_ more dangerous. I doubt the shipwreck was a cargo ship either. It was more likely another pirate ship. After stealing the gold, I reckon they hid it in tiki statues so no one would find it."

"Pretty clever, if you think about it," I agreed.

"Yes, very. Let's get back."

I pocketed the gold coin. "Okay. Bring those other coins and cover the hole up until we can decide what we're gonna do. I think we should wait until after we've eaten to say anything to the others. Everyone deserves to celebrate. Finding these coins will just remind them of the danger we're in."

Jasper agreed. We bent to pick up our firewood and hurried back to camp, a little richer and a lot more knowledgeable than we were an hour ago.

…

When we returned home, I stacked the wood by the living room fireplace while Jasper laid some kindling in the hearth. Emmett, Rosalie and Alice were back from their excursion. The girls were curled up on one of the sofas arranging branches and berries into wreaths and other decorations. Emmett flipped through the TV stations, muttering glumly about the lack of reception on AFN sports. It had only been two days and already, he was complaining there was nothing on.

Around noon, Mom came into the living room and told us all to go and dress for lunch. She expected us all downstairs and in the dining room in one hours time, dressed in our best clothing … including proper shoes. No flip flops, deck shoes, runners or work boots allowed.

Emmett grumbled distractedly while he stared raptly at the TV. "Do we have to, Mom? Dress shoes hurt my feet." Mom narrowed her eyes, stepping forward to rip the remote from Emmett's hands. "Wha …?" he murmured in surprise. He peered at his empty hands and then up at Mom's fiery face. He decided to hold his tongue – wisely, I feel.

"Yes, you do," snapped Rosalie, as she stood up from her perch on the sofa. Alice had to give her a bit of a push when she had trouble rocking onto her feet from the low seat. Rose's stomach had blossomed seemingly overnight, protruding like a volleyball compared to her slightly convex waistline of a week ago. I figure with Emmett for its father, it was bound to be a large baby. She marched over to her husband who was lying like a great sloth on the opposite sofa. "Get up and turn that TV off. You can watch it later."

"But, I'm looking for a game, Rosie," he whined, as he concentrated on the screen. Rose whacked his bare foot hanging over the sofa arm with the flip flops she carried in her hand. "Ow! What was that for?" he yelped. He rubbed his aggrieved toes and glared at his wife, but reversed tactics when he registered her impatient stance and unhappy face. "I can look later," he said hurriedly.

Mom hit the off button on the remote and tossed it on the ottoman stool. She turned on her heel to return to the kitchen through the slightly ajar, dining room doors. Emmett stood up and meekly followed his wife from the room. Having not seen Bella all morning, I decided to head into the kitchen and say hello. As I reached out to slide open the dining room doors open, Bella yelled from the room.

"Oh no you don't, Edward," she said as she looked up and saw my face peeking through the narrow space I'd opened. "You can't come in here." She rushed over, reaching her hand between the narrow space to push me backwards. She followed, sliding the doors closed behind her.

My lips contorted into a pout. "But, I miss you, Bella. I haven't seen you for six whole hours," I complained boyishly.

She chuckled and reached up to kiss my mouth. I relaxed my lips to kiss her back until she began to pull back. Reluctantly, I let her go. "You'll get over it," she said. "I'll be upstairs soon to shower and change. Wait for me?"

I brightened and nodded eagerly.

"Don't get any idea's Lieutenant Cullen. We don't have time for any shenanigans before lunch. This meal is important to your mother," Bella warned me.

I sighed dramatically. "Just a quick frolic," I cajoled as I nuzzled her neck. She smelled of yeast and spices mixed with her natural fragrance.

Bella moaned as I licked her skin, but she resisted my advances. My lips slipped off her skin when she pulled back from my embrace. "Your father has already been on the receiving end of Esme's wrath today. Do you _want _to be the next one?" Bella asked with a raised brow of inquiry. "I've never seen Carlisle scuttle so fast as when Esme picked up that overripe papaya."

I snorted. "Is that what it was? Jazz and I heard the impact … and the screaming." I chuckled, trying to distract her. It didn't work. "Okay, no shenanigans in the shower," I agreed at last, "but can I watch?" My brows wiggled hopefully.

She rolled her eyes at my engaging grin and rapidly moving brows. "Yes!" She laughed and pushed me away from the dining room towards the stairs. "Now get out of here, I'll be upstairs in a few minutes."

She may have denied me a frolic, but she sure put on a great floor show. I had to take care of myself in a cold shower, barely making it downstairs in time for lunch.

…

At precisely 1 o'clock, Mom opened the doors to the dining room and called us into lunch. "Can you put on some music please, Jasper? There's a CD in the stereo."

Jasper did as Mom asked then took his place beside Alice. Holding my arm out to Bella as we stood behind them, I escorted her into the beautifully decorated room to the classical tones of Vivaldi. Bella was dressed in a pretty white sundress, printed with tropical flowers in blue and green. Her feet were shod in a pair of wedged, thong sandals decorated with the same type of flowers, but in white and silver. Her hair had been pulled up into some type of bun arrangement on the back of her head with wisps of hair trailing around her face and neck. She looked very beautiful and I told her so as I brought our joined hands to my lips and kissed her hand.

We took our seats on the right side of the table next to Mom who sat to the right of Dad. Emmett took his place at the opposite head of the table as the next oldest male with Rosalie sitting to his left. Jasper and Alice sat on Dad's left next to Rosalie. An arrangement of tropical flowers in fall colors sat on the side board along with a bowl of fruit. A wreath decorated the wall taking pride of place above the decorative turkey the girls had made with its tail of real feathers.

The table was set formally to perfection. I was stunned when I looked over the table that was set with vintage US Navy table linen, china, glassware and silverware in the patterns used in the wardroom reserved for middle ranking officers such as Lieutenant. The snow-white table linen was embossed with the twisted rope and stars depicting the US Navy prior to WWII.

The white china was rimmed in dark navy blue and was embossed with an anchor on the edge. The glasses were engraved with USN and the silverware was ornate with the 'Kings' pattern on its handles. The beeswax candle's were placed down the center of the table, their flames flickering gently.

I stared at my Mom who was sitting beside me. "Mom, how … how did you get this stuff? _When_ did you get this stuff?"

She smiled warmly at me as she shook her napkin and laid it over her lap. "Do you like it?" I nodded. How could I _not_ like it. "When you joined the navy, I started collecting it for you. I brought it on board with the intention of celebrating your birthday dinner, but that all went to hell after the pirates and the hurricane."

I snorted in response to Mom's pithy retelling of our bad luck. "Well, Mom, it's a wonderful surprise. Thank you, I love you for it." Leaning over, I planted a smacking kiss on her cheek. She blushed and patted my hand in return.

Bella squeezed my hand, calling my attention. "It was your birthday in August?"

"Yes. On the seventeenth. I turned twenty-nine." I narrowed my eyes at her. "When's _your_ birthday?"

She blushed and fidgeted with her napkin in an effort to evade answering. She twisted the fabric between her hands clasped in her lap.

"Bella?" She remained silent. I looked at Alice – she'd attended her last birthday party. We all looked at Alice looking for the answer to a most pressing question.

"Er ..." she squeaked. Bella's head shot up and she glared at Alice. "Ahm, I can't remember. Sometime towards the end of the year, I think," she answered evasively.

Hmmm. I narrowed my eyes at Alice and then Bella. Both were disinclined to elaborate. I inclined my head at Mom and then at Bella. She nodded in understanding. She'd get it out of her or Alice later.

Mom stood up to pour clear, pink liquid from the wine carafe into everyone's glasses. When she was seated again, Dad tapped his glass with a knife and stood up, calling us all to attention. "Before we enjoy the wonderful lunch that Esme and Bella have cooked us, I'd like to make a toast." We all sat up to listen attentively to Dad's Thanksgiving speech. He cleared his throat and began.

"_This is our first Thanksgiving on Isabella Island. Some might think that our present circumstances are not cause for celebration, but I disagree and I think you all do too." _

There was a round of affirmative nods and one hesitant acknowledgment from Rosalie.

"_We survived the pirate attack and the hurricane, making it safely to this island against all odds. This beautiful island has provided us with everything that Victory does not. We are all alive and healthy and in a few months we'll welcome a new member to our family – the first child of Emmett and Rosalie."_

Mom looked upon Emmett and Rosalie with a fond glance as Emmett brushed his lips tenderly against Rosalie's mouth. His hand disappeared under the table to stroke his child's presence with a gentle and loving hand.

Dad coughed drawing back our attention._"Alice and Jasper have weathered a storm of their own, emerging stronger than they were before. This island has provided a treatment for Alice, as well as the space they both needed to strengthen their relationship."_

Alice blushed as Dad referred to her long battle with depression and her hiding it from her husband. Some marriages might not have survived such a secret, but theirs had. Jasper bent his head to his tiny wife and kissed her. He whispered how much he loved her into her ear. I thought I saw him mouth, _'I'm sorry. It will never happen again.'_ She looked into his face with glassy eyes and mouthed, _'Thank you.'_ I wondered what it was all about, but I also knew it was private. I don't think anyone else noticed and I decided I wouldn't ask.

Dad continued his speech. _"Edward and Bella are our newest couple, and Esme and I couldn't be happier. Welcome to the family … Your Highness," _Dad added with a sparkle of teasing mirth shining from his eyes.

Bella blushed in embarrassment, hiding her face in her hands. "Oh, god," she mumbled. "Carlisle, you promised," she whined reproachfully.

I chuckled as I stroked the length of her back and pulled her into me. The teasing over her royal status had been merciless for days. Alice giggled from her place beside Dad and Emmett guffawed. They'd both received almost as much teasing after they genuflected to Bella when they heard the news.

Dad gave a small bow of apology. "Sorry, Bella, I couldn't resist. It's the last time, I promise." He took a moment to look around the table, meeting the eyes of every person before he launched into personal toasts of thanks to each of us.

"_Edward, you steered us safely to this island and brought us safely to shore. Your bravery and determination to protect us from the pirates is commendable. We wouldn't be alive and well if it wasn't for you. You're a wonderful officer and a credit to the US Navy, and this family. Thank you."_

I smiled in appreciative acknowledgment of my fathers praise. He smiled back and winked before addressing Bella.

"_Bella, you found this island paradise. Your knowledge of plants and the Polynesian culture has been invaluable to our survival and comfort. Your skill for medicine knows no bounds and I know that _my_ stomach and everyone else's appreciates wholeheartedly your cooking skills and experimentation. Without you, we wouldn't have eaten pancakes for breakfast this morning. Thank you."_

Bella chuckled and blushed furiously. Emmett and Jasper seconded Dad's praise of her cooking, and I whispered in her ear, just how much _I _loved her pancakes.

"_Emmett, you've built a safe home for us all to live in, using only what was available. This house is amazing and would not have been possible without you and your construction skills. Your desire to eat bacon and eggs and turkey for lunch today, made you determined to capture the animals we have. You showed us all that we can do whatever we set our minds to. Thank you."_

Emmett blushed and ducked his head. "Aw, Dad," he mumbled.

"_Rosalie, without your mechanical expertise and determination to get the generator working, Bella would not be alive today. We have you to thank for the power we have. Without you we would not have the use of the appliances or the television. Thank you." _

"Yeah, television, hear, hear!" Emmett boomed joyfully making us all chuckle. Dad waited for the laughter to die down before he continued his toast.

"_Jasper, without your survival skills, Edward and Bella would still be trapped in the lava tube cavern, or possibly gone from us forever. Thank you, son." _Dad said solemnly. Jasper inclined his head in acceptance of the deserved praise before Dad continued. "_Your fishing and hunting skills have kept us all fed, and your crop management skills complement the abilities of Bella and your mother. Thank you."_

Dad turned to look upon Alice sitting to his left. _"Alice, lovely Alice, what can I say? Your skill with a needle and thread has kept us all clothed." _There was a chuckle of agreement from all of us. I stroked the rip in the shirt I wore, which Alice had repaired so it was hardly noticeable unless you knew it was there. _"Your skill with weaving has helped us build this house and make many useful items. You are my first daughter-in-law and I love you dearly. Thank you."_

Alice sniffled into her napkin, and Dad turned to address Mom.

"_Esme, my beautiful, loving, stubborn wife. Without you, we'd all have fallen apart. You are the glue that holds us all together. You are our sounding board and our voice of reason. Your farming experience and your homemaking skills have made all of our lives bearable. And like Bella, we all appreciate _your_ ability to cook some tremendous meals on those tripods for three months."_ There was another round of chuckled agreement. _"I love you my darling wife. Thank you."_

Mom burst into tears and stood up to wrap her arms around her husband. Dad embraced her tightly and kissed her temple as he whispered in her ear. I turned away to give them some privacy.

"Okay," sniffed Mom, as she wiped her eyes and cheeks. "I think we should all take a sip of this wonderful apple juice that Bella made as we drink in honor of your father's toasts.

I stood up. "Mom, just a moment, please." I picked up my wine glass of pink apple juice and waited for the rest of my family to do the same. Mom sank back into her seat when she realized I intended to make another toast.

"_Dad, on behalf of all of us, I want to thank you most of all. You're the head of this family, and you're our doctor and our mentor. Without you, none of us would have known how to treat Bella following her near-drowning, and my arm would be crippled. You're teaching Bella about medicine and you taught us all how to kill an animal humanely for our food. When I was a child, I aspired to be just like you – not a doctor, but the type of man you are. You live by your principles without apology. If I even achieve a fraction of your goodness, I'll be a lucky man. I know … I know we all sometimes drive you to distraction with our propensity for injuries and running off half-cocked, especially on this island, but you've never tried to stop us from doing anything, or becoming all that we can. Thank you, Dad. I love you and I'm glad you're with us."_

"Hear, hear," boomed Emmett.

Dad came around the table to shake my hand and pull me into a man-hug. As we clapped each others backs I found Mom who was standing behind him, gazing at me with pride.

Jasper stood and raised his glass, urging Emmett to stand also, while the women remained seated. "Charge your glasses everyone. We all deserve these toasts of thanks. Happy Thanksgiving and may it be the first of many more to come, wherever we might be."

"Happy Thanksgiving," we all replied, then sipped from our wine glasses. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste – the pink apple juice was sweet and tart.

"Well, I think it's time to eat," Mom announced. Emmett cheered. "Bella?" Mom walked around the table toward the kitchen door and Bella stood up to follow her. "We'll be right back," promised Mom and they were, carrying two bowls of plump shrimp and tropical fruit in a creamy mayonnaise.

Bella placed her bowl in the center of the far end of the table while Mom did the same at her end. "Our first course is a starter of shrimp salad," announced Bella. "Please help yourselves."

Emmett and I waited for Rosalie and Bella to serve their portions before we took our own. The shrimp was delicious bathed as it was in its creamy dressing that tasted suspiciously of basil. I wasn't the only one who thought so.

"This is lovely," complimented Alice. "I'd swear I can taste basil mixed in with the lime in this dressing."

"You can," replied Mom. "Bella found some wild basil when she went out with Carlisle to the east side to find those poppy plants."

"Really?" Alice said excitedly as she forked up another shrimp. "I love basil."

When we finished the seafood starter, Mom and Bella stood to clear the used salad plates and the bowls of leftover food. They returned moments later with platters of roasted vegetables and some type of gratinated dish. I leaned forward to sniff at the mouthwatering mound of roasted potatoes, baby onions, yams, sweet potato and butternut squash. I think the gratin dish held green summer squash covered with some of the soft goats cheese they'd been experimenting with – the top was a light, golden brown. Mom came back with two baskets of bread and sat them on the table near the full butter dishes.

I thought my eyes and nose were deceiving me as I turned to address Mom. "My god, is _that_ bread?"

Emmett's head shot up from his leaning position over the platter of steaming, roasted vegetables he was inhaling. "Bread! You made bread? What … how?" he flustered.

Bella stepped into the room carrying a platter holding a golden brown turkey and a bowl of turkey dressing. She placed the turkey down in front of Emmett so he could carve and answered his question. "We harkened back to the pioneering days and we grew some." She explained how as Mom went into the kitchen for the second turkey and bowl of dressing. "The basic instructions for making it are in one of the old cookbooks Esme had on Victory. Apparently it was an old book of her grandmother's. She didn't want it anymore, but she couldn't bare to abandon it permanently, so it found a new home on board."

I laughed at the irony. A lot of unwanted things – those items that were deemed obsolete for modern living – were proving invaluable to our survival, not least of which were the instructions for growing yeast. The bread rolls didn't have quite the same taste and texture of bread containing gluten, but it _was_ bread. It was soft and spongy and golden brown, and like Emmett's honey from a few weeks ago, it tasted like ambrosia to me.

Dad and Emmett carved the turkeys while Mom and Bella brought in bowls of sea-grape preserves as a substitute for cranberry sauce, and gravy boats of thick turkey gravy. Some shallow dishes of Bella's sea salt completed the main meal. I loaded up my plate as did everyone else around the table – the women took more modest portions – and I dug into the best meal I think I'd ever eaten.

Conversation was non-existent during the first serving, but it picked up when most of us went back for seconds. Jasper and I decided to tell the family about the gold coins we'd found since everyone was in a good mood. There was much curiosity about _who_ had hidden the coins in the tiki. Bella was quiet while she digested the fact that her people's idol had been desecrated by thieves. I whispered to her not to worry about what people who'd been dead for hundreds of years had done, because it couldn't be changed.

She nodded and ate quietly for a few moments before commenting. "That's probably why the tiki of Kamapua'a – the hog-child seems so out of place here on an island whose people obviously worshiped Pele. It was probably brought here by somebody else."

"That's what we think as well," Jasper said. He pulled the gold coins from his pocket and passed them around the table while we finished off our second serving of turkey and vegetables. "You've been studying the first tiki you found near the lava tube, Bella, did you find anything unusual about it?"

She shook her head. "No, but I've only studied the parts of it I can see. I haven't been able to turn it over."

"Jazz and I are going to the fishing village tomorrow, but we'll go with you to look at it the day after."

Dad spoke up cautiously. "I don't think we should move it yet. We don't want to draw attention to our interest in the idol. If the pirates come back and find out it's been moved, they'll get curious."

Swallowing a mouthful of delicious turkey and dressing, I wiped my mouth before I responded. "I agree, but I do want to take a closer look at it."

"So do I," said Jasper.

At the end of the main course, the platters and bowls were empty and I was stuffed to the gills, necessitating I reach down and surreptitiously unbutton my pants to relieve some of the pressure. Bella saw me and smirked. I was glad I could make her feel a little happier.

Bella whispered to me to run upstairs and get the gift basket while she and Mom cleared the table. We'd hand out the tokens while giving our stomachs a chance to relax before eating dessert. When I came back, an apple pie and a sweet potato pie with a meringue topping sat on the sideboard. The scent of cinnamon and nutmeg was mouthwatering. Emmett, Jasper and Dad were eying the pies covetously. We all licked our lips in anticipation as Mom poured out cups of tea.

Bella stood in front of her chair with the basket on the table between us. Everyone had worn various expressions of interest as I brought it into the room. They gave their attention to Bella, curious to find out what treasures she had to offer. Jasper's eyes lit up when he realized what it was.

She cleared her throat to speak. "Everyone, um, Edward and I made something for all of us about a month ago. We couldn't give them to you before now, because they weren't ready. Um, we have a parcel for everyone." She handed a parcel wrapped in banana leaves and tied with dried grass to Emmett and Rosalie and passed one across the table to Jasper. I handed one to Mom and Dad and passed one to Alice. Bella placed one parcel on the table in front of me and took one for herself.

Alice rattled her parcel, while Rosalie sniffed hers and Mom squeezed her own on all sides.

"What is it?" Alice asked. She bounced in her seat a little from excitement.

Bella wrung her hands nervously and whispered, "Open them and find out."

They all pulled the grass bows on their parcels. Mom was folding back the banana leaf wrapping when she said, "You didn't need to give gifts, darlings, it's not Christmas."

"We know. But this is a gift we think you'll all appreciate," I replied. I watched Bella watching Alice with her breath held. It was Alice who we thought would be most thrilled by the sudsy trinkets.

We were right, but we were also wrong.

Alice didn't disappoint as she pulled the banana leaf away to reveal our gift. Her mouth was open in a silent O of surprise for long moments before she spoke. "Oh my god. Is this … is this _soap_?" she whispered tearily. She picked up a creamy bar and held it up to her nose, inhaling the scent of coconut and herbs.

Bella nodded. "Yes."

Alice erupted from her seat and raced around the table to Bella. I didn't know the tiny dynamo had that much strength in her when she yanked Bella to her feet and accosted her with kisses of thanks, hugs and tears of joy. The rest of the family smiled with equal happiness as they witnessed Alice's real delight in a gift that under normal circumstances, would be looked upon as mundane.

Bella struggled to free herself from Alice's clutches. "Can't breath, Alice," she gasped.

Alice hurriedly released her. "Sorry, Bella, I'm just so thrilled!" Alice squealed.

"We'd never have guessed," snorted Rosalie, but I could see she was just as excited.

Alice literally quivered with exhilaration as she jumped up and down while holding Bella's hands. The house actually shook with the force of her motion. "Soap. Fuck me!" she gasped as she released Bella, allowing her to sit down again.

Jasper roared with laughter and even Mom grinned at Alice's enthusiasm. She turned in her seat to hug me gratefully, reaching out to squeeze Bella's hand. "This is wonderful. I've missed soap so much. How did you make it?"

"Lye water, oil and some fragrances," Bella explained. I launched into a description of our soap making sessions, leaving out the commentary on our lovemaking.

Rosalie turned a soap bar in her hands, rubbing the block against the skin of her forearm. It left a faint creamy mark. "Thank you, Bella," she said quietly. "You've no idea what this means to me, to all of us."

Bella smiled at Rosalie. "You're welcome, Rose. I've got some other things," she announced as she reached into the basket. Now that the gifting of personal soap bars was so well received, she was more confident of her reception to the other items we'd made. "We also made some shampoo, laundry soap and washing up detergent." Bella lined the recycled, plastic bottles up on the table.

Mom stared at the shampoo bottle transfixed. She reached up and fingered her hair before standing and drifting to Bella's place at the table. Reaching out, she picked up the 'Pantene' bottle as though it was delicate crystal and flipped the lid, bringing the bottle to her nose to inhale.

Bella watched Mom with wide eyes. "Um, I infused it with the scent of frangipani. I made one for the men that's scented with oil I extracted from lime zest."

Mom drew Bella into her her arms. "Oh, you darling girl. Thank you, sweetheart. This is the best gift in the whole world and I can't wait to try it out." They hugged each other for a few moments longer, rocking in each others arms.

"First dibs on the shower," Mom declared.

She pulled out of Bella's arms with the shampoo bottle in her hand, and raced out of the room, catching up a soap bar on her way past her chair. We all stared after her, only breaking our stillness when we heard the bathroom door slam seconds later.

Dad stood around with his hands in his pants pockets as he stared at the floor hiding the laughter that threatened to erupt from his chest. He looked up when he had himself under control. "Well, I think that's the end of lunch for the time being. Why don't we find something else to do until your mother makes another appearance. She could be a while," he remarked knowingly.

Bella was the first to speak. "I think I'll get started on the dishes." She began clearing the table of anything not related to eating dessert and took it into the kitchen.

Rosalie grabbed Alice's hand to follow. "We'll help. Why don't you boys find a game to watch on TV?"

None of us objected as we headed into the living room. Emmett immediately began checking the TV stations for a game – _any_ game that he could watch. "There's nothing," he moaned, throwing the remote down on the sofa beside him. I caught it when it bounced.

"Have you checked the Australian channel?"

"Why would I want to do that? They won't televise American sports."

I rolled my eyes and switched the channel. A news program was just finishing. "No, Emmett, but they probably televise _Australian_ sports." The opening music and logo for a sports program appeared on the screen. "See, it looks like some type of ball game." We looked upon an enormous stadium that was crowded with spectators before it panned to the studio and three commentators sitting on a couch.

"_Welcome to Nine sports at the MCG in Melbourne, where this morning the Western Bulldogs go up against the St Kilda football club in this charity match for the Royal Children's Hospital. We have a full house today here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with over 100,000 people in the stands. All ticket proceeds raised will go toward the purchase of a new cancer treatment wing at the iconic hospital, which has saved the lives of countless children since it first opened in 1870."_

"_Yes, Eddie, it's fantastic how much Victorian's care for their children. Not only have we raised $1.8 million dollars in ticket sales today, but the vendors serving the public at the stadium are donating 50% of their profits, and the players are donating their time as well."_

"_That's right, Jonesy. Members of the Victorian public not here at today's game have donated another $1.2 million dollars through the telethon. The phone lines are still open ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, so dial the number of your screens and dig deep for our children. That number is 1800 999 888."_

The 'Eddie' commentator interrupted. _"Sorry, Peter, but the players are coming out onto the ground. It's a beautiful spring day here in Melbourne. The ground is dry and it looks to be a fast game. There's our umpire, John Duggan, walking onto the ground. John's a veteran umpire of Aussie rules football. He retired in 1999, but came out of retirement today to donate his time to the cause. His little granddaughter recently spent 10 days in the RCH recovering from meningitis. He told me in an earlier interview that he wants to show his thanks. That interview later on during the half-time break. Okay, folks here we go …"_

The players ran to their positions on the enormous playing ground clad in their short shorts and jerseys. None of them wore helmets or any kind of protective gear except maybe a mouth guard. Four of the players – two from each team – stayed with the umpire, who directed a coin toss to determine which end of the field each team would guard. The umpire picked up the oval football, blew the whistle in his mouth and bounced the ball between the four players. Two of them rose up as if they had springs in their legs. One of them caught the ball and ran while the opposite team converged on him …

It was a rousing good game, even if none of us completely understood the rules. We comprehended enough to know that each team had to kick the ball between four posts at each end of the field. The middle posts represented a goal worth 6 points and a ball kicked between a goal post and a side post called a behind was worth one point.

When I finally looked away from the TV and glanced at Emmett, he was entranced by the action on the screen, grumbling when the opposing team gained an unfair point. I deduced he was supporting the St Kilda football club when he yelled at the opposing team member who stole the ball in some type of aerodynamic acrobatic called a 'mark'.

The girls wandered in during the half time break. The last fifty minutes had passed as though time was a single heartbeat as we all became engrossed in the foreign game of football.

Bella sat down on my lap and kissed my cheek. "I see you boys found a game to watch."

"Yeah, we did. It's Aussie football. You all done in the kitchen?" I asked as I snuggled against her neck. "I should have helped you since you cooked."

"Hmmm, yeah, we're finished and no you shouldn't have. You're right where you're supposed to be on Thanksgiving afternoon – in front of the television watching a game." She giggled and whispered in my ear. "Did you hear Esme?"

I gave her a questioning look. "No."

She leaned toward me conspiratorially. "Just after I started filling the sink with hot water, she screamed down the stairs like a woman possessed, '_Who turned on the fricking hot water? Turn it effing off!'_ Alice ignored her because she was squirting liquid detergent into the water and playing with the suds. She said she wasn't gonna be outdone by Esme."

I chuckled. "Has Mom made an appearance yet? I think I've got room in my stomach for pie now," I said as I rubbed my belly.

"Yes. She's in the kitchen making tea looking like a boiled lobster. She's so happy, Edward. I think the shampoo was the best gift we could have ever given your Mom."

"Speak of the devil," I whispered to Bella, as Mom walked into the room wearing an expression of chagrin on her face.

"Hello everyone."

Dad looked up and smiled lovingly at his damp wife. He walked over to welcome her back with a gentle kiss, inhaling the fragrance of her hair. "Hmmm, you smell sweet, my love."

Mom blushed like a girl. "Oh, go on," she said as she gently pushed at Dad's chest. She looked over his shoulder at the rest of us. "Dessert?"

Emmett reared to his feet with Rose in his arms. "Hell yes. Half time break is twenty minutes and there's still fifteen minutes left. Plenty of time to eat a pie," he said as he disappeared into the dining room carrying his wife.

The rest of day was spent consuming Bella's delicious pies with thick cream and scoops of the vanilla ice-cream Mom had made. The girls watched the rest of the game with us – St Kilda won – and then we all played a hilarious round of Monopoly – the US Navy edition – as evening fell. None of us were very hungry, so we forwent dinner in favor of another slice of pie, only breaking away from the board game from time-to-time to feed the animals and check on the security of the camp.

I went to bed that night with Bella in my arms feeling the happiest I'd felt since Bella agreed to be my girlfriend. Only my future wedding to her and the birth of our children would ever compare – oh, _and_ my return to the Navy career I left behind. I slept a very happy man.

Unfortunately, my happiness didn't last for long …

…

Jasper and I set out for the fishing village at first light as planned. At 5.30, I kissed a sleepy Bella goodbye as she lay in bed and headed downstairs, stopping to pick up our packed lunch from the fridge, which Mom had made us last night. Jasper had the water bottles, the map and the compass. I had the binoculars and the first aid kit, and we both carried a rope and a flashlight, just in case.

We made good time to the fishing village. Being on our own without the women, we could move faster and stop for fewer breaks. At just before 9 am, we jogged into the fishing village which looked just the same as it had a couple of weeks ago. By tacit agreement, we headed straight for the fishing sheds.

"Let's get what we need and get out of here," I said to Jasper as I took off my man-bag. "I don't like leaving the camp for too long while those pirates are in the area."

Jasper released the beach-bag pack from his own shoulders. "Neither do I, Edward, but they could be on the island for a long time. We can't always stay near camp. We need to adapt."

I nodded. "I know, but not yet. I don't trust Jimmy."

We spent the next two hours sifting through the dirt and sand for sharks teeth. They were scattered all over the floor of the fishing and canoe sheds. Jasper pulled some leather draw-string pouches he'd made from his pack to hold the lethal teeth. I counted sixty three of them. We also found some more fishing hooks. Some of them were large suggesting they were used to catch sharks and marlin. Jasper put them in his bag.

The entire time we were there, I felt as though someone was watching us, but when I stealthily looked around by making out I was having a drink or taking a piss, I couldn't _see_ anything except jungle and ocean. I checked a number of times, making Jasper nervous.

"What's wrong?" he whispered to me, when I ducked behind a log to search the area with the binoculars.

I shrugged my shoulders in frustration. "I don't know, Jazz. I just feel like something's not right. I feel like we're being watched." Jazz looked around the camp casually, so as not to attract attention if someone _was_ watching us. He held still at one point to peer into the jungle with his arm shading his eyes from the bright near-noon sun. I watched him squinting into the distance and focused the glasses on the same spot. I couldn't see anything out of place.

He spoke loudly to allay any suspicions. "Hey, Edward, I think there are more goats roaming around here. Maybe we should catch another one?" He grinned as he continued to peer into the distance.

"Did you see anything?" I asked him quietly.

He lowered his arm and turned around to speak quietly. "I thought maybe … I don't know – I'm not sure. Let's quickly check the large hut for more teeth _and_ gold," Jasper said. "If the pirates _are_ here spying on us, I don't want them finding the gold. They'll know we found it and they'll know we lied when they asked us if we'd found anything interesting on this island."

Bringing my wrist up, I checked the time. It was 11 am. "Okay, let's make it quick. I want to get out of here. I felt like a ghost walked over my grave and I shivered in reaction. We picked up our bags and walked casually toward the largest hut where we'd found the bee comb. Removing our flashlights, we kicked at the debris on the floor looking for teeth and gold. We didn't find any more teeth, but Jasper found a gold cup and another plate buried in the sand in the far corner. He dug them up and hid them in his bag, pulling the strings firmly closed.

I found the remnants of an ancient weapon – a sword along one wall. It was camouflaged by the dust and sand that made up the floor of the hut. I might not have seen it, had I not been sifting through the dirt nearby. The weapon still contained teeth on one side of the narrow conical blade and the point was extremely sharp.

"Jasper, look at this. It looks like a sword."

He took it from me, shining the light along it. "Yeah it is. This is a marlin bill. Bella told me they were popular with the Hawaiian warriors. Bring it with us, will you, Edward. I want to study it and I might be able to repair it."

I opened my bag to slide the sword inside on the diagonal when I heard crunching and snapping in the bushes behind the hut. I froze, listening carefully. Jasper looked up at me. He'd heard it too. Holding my finger to my mouth, I made the silent signal for silence and turned my flashlight off. Jasper did likewise. The sudden dimness in the hut made it difficult to see as our eyes adjusted.

I motioned to Jasper that we should get up and head out. "Let's get going, _bro_." I emphasized the neutral moniker hoping he'd pick up that we shouldn't speak our names. "We won't find any more fishing hooks here – time has disposed of them. You'll need to make them if you want to go game fishing." I edged toward the door of the hut.

Jasper followed me. "Yeah, you're right, but it was worth a try. Thanks for coming with me." I breathed a sigh of relief that he'd picked up on my subtle message.

I looked out the door. I couldn't see anybody. "No problem. Let's head back to camp. With any luck we can get in some surfing this afternoon," I said nonchalantly.

"_Surfing?"_ Jasper mouthed to me.

I shrugged. It was possible wasn't it? The ancient Hawaiian's were famous surfers. If they could make a board, so could we. Leaving the hut, we walked casually across the village in an easterly direction. My head snapped around when I heard a gun cocking from behind the hut we'd just been in.

"Get down!" I hissed to Jasper. I grabbed his arm and hit the ground, pulling him with me. The handle of the sword protruding from my bag poked me hard in the side. I pushed it around to my back and we both scuttled along on our belly's to hide behind some rocks. Kneeling up, we peered over the top of the rocks and waited. Sure enough, after a few moments, Larry stepped out from behind the hut holding a Glock. He looked around, obviously looking for us.

_Where the fuck is Jimmy if Larry's here?_

"He seems to be alone," Jasper remarked quietly.

"That's what worries me. Where are the other two? If he's _here_, _where's_ Jimmy?" I looked around behind us. There was no way to get into the jungle while dipshit with the gun was still standing in full view surveying the camp. "Is there another way out of this camp, Jasper?" I whispered frantically.

He shook his head. "No, the only way out is along the path we followed to get here … wait a minute," he breathed as an idea occurred to him. "When I was here the first time, I saw something winding along the cliff from the lava tube to the beach. I was too panicked to take much notice of it, and I forgot about it when we were here last time."

I waved at him impatiently to get on with it.

He made a face, but complied. "I think it was a staircase," he whispered. "It led down to a small cove on the other side of the main beach. If we can get to the beach, we can swim around the rocks and climb it."

It might work. "How do we know its passable? And what do we do when we get into the tube? We'll have to edge around the breakdown in the western tunnel."

Jasper shrugged. "What choice do we have? We can wait here for hours, watching Larry look for us until he leaves, or we can take a chance. We'll be home in just over an hour if we take the stairs and the tunnel."

I blew out a silent breath and nodded. "Okay, let's do it. Lead the way."

Jasper waited until Larry's back was turned, then dropped into a crouch. I did the same and followed him as he scuttled in a low posture toward the beach. Ten yards out, I looked over my shoulder to see Larry turning around. "Get down!" Jasper and I hit the ground. I looked to my side from my prone position on the sand and watched Larry. He shrugged and sat down on a log in the shade of the canoe shed to pick his nose.

_Jesus!_

"Let's go. Larry's eating," I said with disgust.

Jasper nodded and got to his feet, glancing behind him as he did so. He quirked a brow at me.

"I didn't say _what_ he was eating," I retorted. "Get going."

We made it to the beach and into the water in just under another minute, wading slowly through the water and around the rocks so as not to make loud splashing noises. The water was lapping around our waists at the farthest outcropping of the rocks, making running impossible anyway. I breathed a sigh of relief when we lost view of the village as we came upon the small cove.

"Can the stairs be seen from the village?" I asked as we ran out of the water and up the beach to the base of the cliff stairs carved from the rock. They were ancient, but they looked sturdy and intact. We'd soon find out if they weren't.

Jasper puffed. "Yes, I think so, but only from the beach."

"Well let's not wait for Larry to come looking. Let's go." I stepped onto the first step and began climbing at a fast clip. I heard Jasper follow. About a third of the way back, I slowed and stopped to look back toward the beach and the village through the binoculars. Larry was lying back against the abandoned canoe having a sleep.

"The fuckwit's taking a nap," I scoffed.

I handed the glasses to Jasper. "Why do you think Jimmy keeps him around?"

"I don't know, but I'd shoot him and put him out of his misery."

"Waste of a good bullet, don't you think?" Jasper smirked.

I grinned and bagged the binoculars Jasper handed back to me, pulling a water bottle from the bag to take a large swallow.

Jasper did likewise. "You ready?"

"Yes." I turned and began running up the narrow stairs, keeping close to the cliff wall. At the halfway point, I halted again. A bridge to the next set of steps was missing leaving a sheer drop to the water below the empty space, as well as beside us.

I gestured to the space in front of us. "Any idea's?"

Jasper breathed heavily, catching his breath as he scanned his eyes over the steps and the cliff wall. "There," he said at last, as he pointed. "We'll throw a rope over that protruding rock and swing our way across. I'll go first and help you over."

Jasper edged passed me on the narrow stairs as I flattened myself against the cliff. When he passed by, I walked down a few steps giving him room to swing the rope at the rock. He tied a loop in one end and swung getting the loop secured on the second go. He pulled it tight and backed down the stairs until he was standing on the step above me.

"I'm gonna run and then jump. When I get on the other side, I'll throw the rope back. When you go, I'll catch you. Hold the rope tight with your right arm and reach out with your left. I'll grab it." He looked down at the braced limb worriedly.

"Don't worry about it, Jasper. There's no other way," I told him. "Let's do it."

Jasper wound the rope around his hand, wrist and arm and ran up the six steps at a full run. My breath held as he jumped and swung through the air, landing safely a moment later on the second step. I breathed out a sigh of relief.

Jasper threw me the rope and backed up another step. "Okay now you."

I nodded and twisted the rope around my arm like Jasper had. Taking a deep breath, I powered up the steps and jumped at the top, swinging over the six feet expanse of nothing.

I looked down.

I shouldn't have.

It distracted me.

My feet landed on the first step, but one slipped off and I felt myself begin to fall backward. I thought I was a goner for sure, when Jasper braced himself against the cliff wall with one hand and reached out with the other and caught my left hand, yanking me forward. I felt the pain in my arm as I fell to my knees on the second step.

"Thanks, man." I huffed.

"Welcome."

My brother hauled me to my feet with his hands under my armpits. Taking the rope from around my arm he yanked on it, trying to loosen it from the rock. "It's stuck," he said.

"Leave it. We might need it again one day."

Catching our breaths, we made it to the stop without any further mishaps and edged into the dark tube. It was windy, but not as bad as it was the day of the accident. We both pulled our flashlights from our bags and began jogging down the tunnel.

"Do you remember how far it is?" I asked Jasper.

He shook his head. "No. I became disoriented. It might have been ten minutes or thirty. Sorry."

"Doesn't matter," I said as we hurried along with our lights leading the way. We reached the breakdown in fifteen minutes. "Well, now we know how long it takes. Fifteen minutes at a jog and about twenty-five at a walk."

Jasper took his water bottle from his bag and took a large drink. "We need to edge around the hole to the left. The floor is wider there and more stable. Just be careful, okay?"

"I will. You lead, I'll follow." We were past the breakdown in a matter of moments, then running along the tube again. The wind picked up and howled up the tunnel as though it was chasing us away. It calmed as we entered the intersection twenty minutes later, and we made our way to the eastern tunnel. When we exited the tunnel, I checked the time – it had taken us just over an hour and a half to navigate the stairs and the tunnels – less than half the time the overland route took us.

Running across the temple platform, we jumped over the three steps and sprinted for camp. As we passed the spot where the tiki treasure chest was laying, a bright blue cloth caught my attention. "Jazz. Wait a minute!" I gasped out, as I skidded to a halt. Reaching into the shrubs, I closed my hand around something soft and came away with one of Bella's bright hair scrunchies.

_She'd been here!_

I showed it to Jasper. His eyes lifted to mine worriedly. "Don't panic, Edward. It might not _mean_ anything. Let's just get back to camp." Pocketing the scrunchie, I ran full pelt for camp with Jasper pounding behind me. When we reached camp, there was no one outside, so we raced into the house.

I dumped my bag on the floor as I ran into the living room and then kitchen via the dining room. "Hello! Hello, is _anyone_ home?"

Jasper came running down the stairs. "Nobody's here."

I bent over as a pain of anguish and fear ratcheted through my gut. Clutching my hair, I moaned as I rocked myself. "Shit!" I screamed. "Bella, where are you?"

…

Rosalie's POV

"How did I let you talk me into this," I asked Bella as we trudged toward the temple. It wasn't far from camp, but I was already perspiring even though the day was mild.

"You'll enjoy it," Bella smiled at me. You can rest at the temple and look at the petroglyphs while I study the tiki.

"I thought you were going to wait and go with Edward tomorrow?"

She frowned. "Yeah, we are, but I want to look at it today. There's no point wasting a perfectly good day just because Edward's not here."

I huffed as I adjusted my pack's straps over my shoulders. "He's gonna be pissed," I remarked.

Bella snorted. "When isn't he pissed if I do something he doesn't want me to do," she retorted cheekily.

I laughed and shook my head and looked back at Emmett bringing up the rear. He was our bodyguard for the day. Carlisle stayed behind in with Esme and Alice because he wanted to perform more tests on the sap. Esme was preserving food from the garden and fruit, and Alice had a basket of sewing she wanted to work on. None of them wanted to come.

When we arrived at the temple, Bella set me up with some precious sheets of paper and some soft pencils. "Rosalie, could you make some tracings for me of the different petroglyphs?"

I took the items from her. "Sure. Any particular ones?"

"Yes, there are some on the far side that are different to the others. I'll show you," she said as she led me to the spot. She pointed out six different rock carvings. "These ones."

"Okay. Emmett?"

He looked up from where he was already whittling away at some Koa wood, carving the beginnings of a deadly knife. "Yeah?"

"I'll be over here, while Bella studies the tiki. Is that alright?"

He came over to study the spot, then looked into the nearby bushes at the tiki. "Yes. Don't wander away, either of you." he ordered sternly.

"We won't" we caroled as he walked away.

"You have two hours, then we're going back," he warned as he returned to his whittling.

Bella and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes.

"Call me if you need me," she offered.

I nodded and knelt down on the platform to begin tracing the first petroglyph. After the third one was finished an hour had gone by and my knees and back were paining me. I shuffled backwards off the platform to stand and stretch. My husband had his head bent low to his work as he carefully shaved away shards of the hard wood. It was really beginning to look like a knife.

I smiled indulgently and turned my gaze on Bella who was crouching in the bushes with a magnifying glass going over every visible inch of the statue. Every now and then, she'd stop to scribble something on her notepad or make a sketch of a particular part of the idol. Both of them were totally lost in their work and unaware of their surroundings.

Stretching one more time, I bent forward to get my water bottle, twisting the lid off to drink thirstily when I felt myself being grabbed from behind. Before I could make a sound of warning, a hand covered my mouth tightly and a gun pressed into my stomach, directly at my baby. My heart leapt into my throat as I twisted my head back and look upon … I gulped – S_hit!_ – Jimmy!

He grinned evilly at me, mouthing _Shhssh_ as he pressed the gun harder into my belly. I looked frantically toward my husband and Bella, but they were completely oblivious to my imminent kidnapping. I tried to struggle as he dragged me off, in an effort to call attention to my plight. A tear of fear for my baby trickled from my eyes as he pressed the gun harder into my stomach and flicked off the safety. I stopped struggling.

When we were about a hundred yards away, Jimmy stopped and shoved a gag in my mouth tying it tightly around my neck. _Shhssh,_ he mouthed again, this time holding a finger up to his mouth. I nodded, not knowing what else to do. What would Jimmy do to Emmett and Bella if I made enough noise to call their attention? While I was thinking about that and swallowing my fear, Jimmy flung me over his shoulder in a fireman's lift and began running through the jungle. He moved quickly and silently. His grace and stealth was unnatural and it made me nervous. What training had he had, which taught him to be so very quiet while in enemy territory?

I lost track of time, but I think about ten minutes had passed when we stopped and Jimmy put me down. He wasn't too gentle about it either, dumping me onto my back so that the breath was forced from my chest. I tried to breath through my nose around the gag, but I couldn't so I reached up with my hands to pull it away, gasping to re-inflate my lungs.

Jimmy leaned down to look into my face with a vicious glare. "I didn't say you could remove the gag, bitch!" he spat at me. It was too late to duck when I saw his fist flying at my face. It connected with my jaw and cheek. I saw stars as the pain overcame me and I slid to the ground, unconscious.

When I came to, Jimmy was nowhere to be seen. The gag was back in place and a blindfold covered my eyes. My feet and hands were firmly tied, not allowing any movement. I could feel the invading numbness as the blood supply to my extremities was constricted. My body was tethered to the tree I was slumped against, holding me prisoner. I couldn't drag myself away and I couldn't _see_ anything.

I tried to scream through the gag, barely making an audible sound. I screamed and screamed until my mouth dried up and I thought I might throw up from the stress and dehydration. My cheek hurt and I felt the stiffness of dried blood where the ring he wore had split the skin. My soundless screaming had opened up the wound so that fresh blood dribbled down my face and along my jawline.

As the fear and adrenalin pumped through my veins, I began to feel light-headed. I thought I might pass out again or hyperventilate, but I knew for my own sake and that of my baby, I had to calm down. All I could do was wait until Jimmy came back; or Emmett found me.

_Oh please, Emmett, find me! _

Tears slipped from beneath the blindfold as I waited for what seemed like endless hours as I concentrated on breathing evenly. After a time, I slipped into an exhausted, uneasy doze.

…

Bella's POV

I closed my notebook and stood up from the tiki. I didn't find any openings, but that didn't mean they weren't there. The tiki was too heavy for me to turn over and I was mindful of Carlisle's warning not to move it and call attention to our interest in the idol. I stretched my stiff back and stepped around the felled statue to walk over to the temple platform.

Emmett was sitting on the edge with his back to Rosalie's position, smoothing his new Koa knife with some sandpaper Jasper had made by gluing sea-sand to a piece of leather with some tree sap. It seemed to be working quite well. I looked over to where I'd left Rosalie nearly two hours ago. She wasn't there, but her bag was.

Hurrying over to Emmett, I urgently called his name. "Emmett! Emmett! Have you seen Rosalie?"

His head shot up and he stood up to look around worriedly. "No, not since last time I looked," he replied in a short tone laden with anxiety.

"When was that?" I asked him gently. I know how easy it was to lose track of time when your attention was caught with something else. The same thing had happened to me. I hadn't noticed the time passing since the last time I'd looked upon Rosalie as she crouched on the temple platform.

Emmett searched the bushes frantically. "About ten minutes ago," he snapped. "Maybe she's gone to the toilet," he muttered. "Rose! Rosalie, where are you? Answer me, Rose!" he bellowed. Terror for the safety of his wife and child swamped his face and I could see him begin to panic.

"Keep calm Emmett. Are you sure it was only ten minutes ago?" I questioned him, as I helped him search the area for Rose. All I found were the tracings she'd made, the pencils and her bag. Her water bottle lay open and empty on the ground.

"Yes, Bella, I'm sure!" he snarled. "I remember checking my watch and it's only been te-" he trailed off with a gulp as he looked at his watch. The blood drained from his face leaving him as white as a ghost.

He looked at me with a combination of horror and guilt. "It's been an hour," he whispered. "How could I _not_ look up to check on my pregnant wife for an hour?" he asked me. He didn't wait for my response. "Rose!" he screamed. "Rose!"

The snapping of branches was heard from the far side of the temple. It sounded like somebody walking. Emmett spun around toward the sound. "You wait here," he ordered as he took off across the platform, disappearing into the jungle.

Hugging myself with my arms, I worried about Rosalie and berated myself for my impatience that resulted in my bringing her here.

_Why couldn't I wait for Edward like he asked me to! It was only one day. _

I checked my watch. Emmett had be gone for fifteen minutes. I was really starting to worry. If they weren't back in five more minutes, I'd head back to camp for help. "Rose, where are you?" I whispered as I looked around. I rubbed at the goosebumps of fear that dotted my skin, trying to warm myself.

"Not here," spoke a voice I hoped never to hear again.

I spun around and opened my mouth to scream for Emmett.

"Uh, uh, uh," he hissed, shaking his head. "Stay quiet, or you won't get the pregnant bitch back." I closed my mouth with a snap. "I sent the big guy off on a wild goose chase, and right about now, he's sporting a lump the size of an egg on the back of his head. He'll have quite the headache when he wakes up … if he wakes up," he cackled.

I swallowed the bile rising into my throat as I prayed that Emmett and Rosalie were alright. "What do you want?" I rasped through dry lips.

He walked around me, holding the Glock he loved so much. I could see blood on the butt of the gun where he'd obviously struck Emmett's head. "We're gunna play a little game of treasure hunt," he told me. He smirked as he played with my ponytail, pulling the scrunchie holding it in place along the thick swathe to the halfway point. I shivered in fear as my every instinct told me to flee, but I couldn't. Rosalie's life depended on my cooperation.

"Blondie … Rose? That's what you and the big guy called her, isn't it?" I nodded slowly. "Well, Rose is your prize. If you find her before your time's up, then you get to keep her. And if you don't, I'll kill her and I get to keep _you_."

I gasped.

Jimmy smirked evilly.

"So, are you gunna play? Nod if you agree."

I hesitated, then gave one abrupt nod of my head.

"Good. Here are the rules. You have six hours to find her. I'll leave you clues along the way. If you find her before the six hours are up, I'll let you take her, _but _you have to find every clue along the way. If you skip any or take any shortcuts, the game is void. Do you understand? Nod if you understand."

I nodded, breathing heavily.

"Alright, here's your first clue." He held out a grubby piece of folded paper.

Taking it slowly, I opened the note and read the scribbled writing. It was a riddle. Looking up at him, I slipped the note into my back pocket.

He held out a sealed bottle of water of the type you'd buy in a shop. "You get one bottle of water. Don't waste it. Oh, and B-b-Bella …"

I gasped. He remembered my name.

He laughed at me. "Yeah, it came to me after our last meeting, but really it was seeing your photo on the news report." He leaned closer and his expression changed to one of anger. "So tell me _Princess_, are you too good for the likes of me? Is that why you didn't want to play with me when we first met, because your blood is blue than mine?" He stroked a dirty finger down my cheek.

I shook my head. "No," I whispered.

"Well, we'll see when _I_ win, won't we?" he gloated confidently. "Get going. Your time starts now. Don't tell anybody about our little game, or I'll put a bullet in that blonde bitch's stomach and then one in her brain. Do you understand me, Princess? Nod if you understand."

I nodded.

"Give me your watch," he ordered as he gestured to the timepiece strapped to my wrist.

I swallowed and undid the catch on the leather band, handing it to him reluctantly.

"It's 11 am, Princess. You have until 5 pm." Then he was gone as he ran into the jungle as swiftly and as silently as a Twilight vampire.

I looked back toward the direction I thought Emmett was, worrying over whether to see about his injury. Then I thought about innocent Rose and her equally innocent baby. My decision was made – I really didn't have a choice. I took off into the jungle in the direction I believed the riddle expected me to go. I felt my hair come completely loose as the scrunchie caught on some branches and slid off my hair.

I didn't go back for it.

…

A/N: Photos for the chapter are on my blog and the link is: jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com

Your reviews are appreciated as they let me know you're still interested in this story. Reviews on Fanfic are growing, but for some reason they are dropping off on TWCS even though the number of readers is remaining steady. Please let me know your thoughts.

Having never celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope I did it justice.

I hate football with a passion and I never watch it if I can help it. In fact, as a child when my Dad took me, my brother and sister to a game, I read a book for 2 hours. Suffice to say, my Dad stopped taking me, and we were both pleased. I had to look up the rules, so I hope I got it right if there are any Aussie readers who are AFL fans.

Hawaiian poppy: Information on the Hawaiian poppy is scarce, but what I did find all said the same thing. My research indicated that all poppies (there are more than 200) contain alkaloids including elements of opium, morphine and codeine – powerful narcotics, which is why the poppy has been used as a medicine, as a painkiller, and as a recreational drug since ancient times in nearly all civilizations. The poppy plant (specifically the Opium poppy) is the most powerful, naturally occurring narcotic in the world. Please don't experiment with any poppy sap extracted from any part of the poppy plant, especially the Hawaiian poppy. Its sap is lethally dangerous if ingested in large doses, or if it is introduced to the bloodstream. Fortunately, the sap has a foul taste. Even animals won't go near it.

USN – the engraving and embossing on the table linen and glassware means United States Navy. Vintage linen and tableware is available from websites in the US if you want to buy it for nostalgic reasons.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thank you to all reviewers who left a 'guest' comment to chapter 25. I appreciate the time you take to leave a message. A few 'signed' reviewers have private messaging turned off, so I'm unable to reply to your reviews, but thank you for your words of encouragement.

…

Chapter 26 – DEFCON ONE

Edwards POV

My gut churned as I tried to get a hold on myself. Panicking would only exacerbate the situation leading to mistakes that might jeopardize Bella's safety - and my family's.

_Where was everyone?_

I breathed in and out deeply, trying to slow my heartbeat to a normal, steady thump. I could hear Jasper yelling at me, as though from a great distance away, to _'pull it together'_. I wish he'd stop yelling at me - it wasn't helping. I needed to think; to make a plan.

"Edward?" called Jasper quietly. I must have voiced my request out loud - how else would Jasper know to tone it down.

He placed a calming hand against my shoulder. "Edward?"

Inhaling one final breath, I stood up to stare resolutely at my brother. I'd made a decision. It was time to eliminate Jimmy and his cohorts. I don't care what my father says, Jimmy has gone too far. I know he had Bella. There was no physical evidence to support my belief, but nonetheless, I know he had her. My gut told me he did, and my gut was never wrong.

"Did you find anything - a note perhaps?" My tone was curt.

Jasper hesitated as he looked into my cold eyes. "Yes - from Dad. It was in his office. He says that Emmett came back about an hour ago with a lump on his head screaming that Jimmy had taken Rosalie and maybe Bella. They've gone to look for them."

I ripped the note from Jasper's hands to read the hurriedly scribbled missive for myself.

_"Edward and Jasper,_

_We suspect that Jimmy has taken Rosalie! Bella is missing as well! _

_Jimmy attacked Emmett, but he's okay. _

_We've gone to search for the girls. _

_Emmett says Rose went missing sometime between 10 and 11. _

_If you get back before we do, meet us at the temple at 1.30. _

_We'll be waiting._

_Dad"_

The muscles in my arms quivered as I scrunched the note reflexively into a tiny ball. My rage was palpable as it surged through my veins. I'm going to break every bone in that fucker's body, and then I'm gonna twist his head from his shoulders like his neck's made of putty.

"What time is it now?" I bit out though clenched teeth.

My brain was cataloging all of the weapons we'd already made. I wish we had more of them, but the few we had would have to do.

Jasper looked at the watched strapped to his wrist. "It's 12.50."

"Get the knuckle duster and the two taser's Rosalie made - bring a couple of extra 9 volt batteries." He nodded and raced up to his room for the weapons.

I pulled the damaged warrior sword from my bag where it lay on the floor. The handle was still intact and attached to the blade. I weighed the weapon in my hand, swinging it through the air, getting a feel for its motion. It felt wrong somehow, unnatural.

Jasper came running down the stairs. He said quietly, "It'll work better if you use it aggressively. Jab it at your enemy. The point will pierce the flesh and the teeth embedded in the blade will rip and tear at the organs and muscles as you push the blade in, and then pull it out again."

I practiced the movement using the empty air as a test dummy. He was right - the sensation of stabbing felt more natural. I imagined ripping Jimmy's ugly heart to shreds, as I danced around the entry room becoming one with the sword.

Jasper moved cautiously out of my way. "It should still work effectively, even with some of the teeth missing. How's the hilt? Is it secure?"

I stopped jabbing and wiggled the handle of the sword. There was some movement, but essentially it felt secure. "Yes, it feels okay. Did you by any chance bring your hunting knife?" I asked, as the usefulness of taking another blade occurred to me.

"Yes, I brought the sling shots as well, but we don't have any lava rocks," he informed me.

Breaking from my warrior dance in mid-step, I strode into the kitchen and went straight to the range. Jasper followed close behind me. We stood looking at the monolithic appliance.

I pointed to the cooking grates. "There's your lava rocks." They were still hot from breakfast. Slipping an insulated oven mitt over my hand, I removed a grate so we could get at the rocks. "Bring a pair of tongs and something to put these in," I ordered.

I threw a dozen of the hot rocks into a pot and strode over to the sink to pour cold water onto them. They sizzled and steamed as they rapidly cooled. "When these are cool enough to handle, put them in a bag with the sling shots. I'm going upstairs to get changed. We leave in 10 minutes," I said curtly, and then hurried from the room.

Upstairs in the bedroom I shared with Bella, I opened a small trunk at the end of the bed. It contained one of my Navy work uniforms with its dark blue and gray, digital camouflage pattern. I pulled out the utilitarian suit and its complementary accessories, and began to disrobe.

It was time to go back to work. Jimmy had just declared war.

My military alertness ratcheted to DEFCON ONE, but I planned to win.

When I was dressed again, a new sense of calm and determination overcame me. It felt good to be back in uniform. I may work on a submarine, but that didn't mean I hadn't gone through any type of combat training. I could and _would_ defend against _my_ enemy. Placing the matching digital cap on my head, I reached into the trunk and removed a few more items, stowing them securely in the various pockets on the pants and shirt.

Opening the door, I met Jasper who was coming out of his own room. He was dressed similarly, but in khaki hiking pants and matching shirt. He wore his own cap and hiking boots. Some people might wonder why we'd brought gear with us that was seemingly out of place on a tropical cruise, but I believe in being prepared for any eventuality, and so it seems does my older brother.

We nodded at each other and headed downstairs, our boot treads loud on the steps. Picking up the bags of weapons and supplies, we left the house by the kitchen door.

"I want to stop by the storage hut for some gloves," I told Jasper, as I strode in that direction.

"I've already got them," he said, "four pairs."

I changed routes. "Let's go then." We jogged away from camp toward the temple.

After a few minutes, I voiced a theory to Jasper. "I'm beginning to wonder whether Larry being at the fishing village was a coincidence."

"You think he might have followed us?" he huffed, as we ran along.

"Maybe," I huffed back. "If Jimmy planned to kidnap one or both of the girls, he may have been ordered to keep an eye on us."

"That implies they've been watching us and knew we'd been gone today. We haven't seen any sign of the pirates since they were here last time," Jasper contended.

I accepted the argument as possible, but how else would Jimmy _know_ to strike today. I said as much to Jasper.

"Perhaps it was just chance on Jimmy's part that he found the girls away from camp and relatively accessible," he theorized.

I nodded. "It's possible, but I still think that Jimmy put some type of plan into action." There was no more discussion as we both mulled over the possibilities.

When we arrived at the meeting place minutes later, Dad and the rest of the family were coming through the jungle from the opposite direction. Emmett looked like hell, and Mom and Alice were white with fear. Dad was stoic, but deeply concerned.

I ran the last few yards, leaping onto the temple platform. Dad and Jasper helped their wives to climb up and we all congregated in the middle. I gave Jasper a brief moment to check on Alice's wellbeing. Dad noticed our attire, but didn't say anything. He knew the time had come to take affirmative action.

I stood at attention, my arms rigid by my sides. "Tell us everything you know," I ordered.

Dad spoke. "You got my note?" I nodded and he continued to brief us. "We're fairly certain that Jimmy has taken both Rose _and_ Bella. We found their abandoned belongings around the north side of the temple. Rosalie's water bottle was on the ground and empty."

"So he took her by surprise," I stated. My lips thinned. What was Emmett doing while _his _wife _and_ mine were being kidnapped? "Where we're _you_, Emmett?" I demanded.

My brother reacted to my accusatory tone. "Where do you think _I _fucking was, Edward? I was here, where I was supposed to be," he spat.

"Then how did Jimmy get the jump on Rose _and_ Bella?" I roared.

Emmett paled. "_Fuck you_, Edward! Why are we wasting time on explanations when we should be looking for them?" he screamed.

I stepped toward him menacingly. "We're _not_ wasting time, Emmett. I need to know everything you know _before_ we implement a rescue mission. Now, tell me _what_ you know," I hissed at him.

Dad reached out a calming hand. "Take it easy, son, we're all worried, especially Emmett."

I turned frosty eyes on my father. He took a cautionary step backward and I was momentarily regretful.

"I know, but this is one time, when running off half-cocked isn't the answer to finding the girls alive and well," I explained curtly.

Dad swallowed and nodded.

"Emmett?" I said, asking for an explanation.

He raked quivering hands through his lengthening dark curls. "Ahm, I was sitting on the south side of the temple carving a knife. Rose was over there on the opposite side making some rubbings of the petroglyphs for Bella. She was over there," he pointed to the west side of the temple, "inspecting the tiki."

"So you had your back to them?" I gritted out.

Emmett nodded penitently. "Yes," he moaned, "and I was checking on them regularly, but then time somehow got away from me and I didn't realize an hour had passed since I'd last seen Rose!"

"So, Bella was still here?"

"Yes, she alerted me."

"What time was this and when was the last time you remember seeing Rose?"

Emmett wiped his perspiring palms along his denim clad thighs. "Um, it was around 10.30 when Bella alerted me, and around an hour before that since I'd last seen Rose." Emmett stepped nervously toward me, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "You _have_ to find her, Edward," he begged as he tightly grasped my upper arms. "Please!"

I shrugged off his hold. He let go and stepped back disheartened and full of remorse for his part in their disappearance.

My response was curt. "I will. What happened then?"

Emmett inhaled deeply before continuing to relay the events. "Bella and I searched the area. We, or rather I, thought Rose may have gone to the toilet. I called for her, but she didn't answer and then we heard somebody walking toward the temple from a distance - from over there," he said, pointing in a south-easterly direction.

I cocked my head to the side curiously. "What made you think Rose would have gone south-east to relieve herself when she was working on the north side of the temple?"

Emmett opened his eyes wide. "I-I didn't think, Edward, I was too worried about where Rose was. I just assumed it was her. I told Bella to stay here and I ran toward the noise, calling for Rose."

"What time was that?" Jasper interjected, as I mulled the information over silently.

"I don't know, Jazz. Maybe 15 minutes after we realized she was gone."

"Who knocked you out? Was it Jimmy?" Jasper asked. "We know it wasn't Larry, because we saw him at the fishing village."

Dad turned startled eyes on us. "The pirate's know about the village?"

Jasper nodded affirmatively. "Yes. Larry was there. We're pretty sure he knew we were there as well. We hightailed it out at the first opportunity."

"How'd you get back so quickly?" Dad asked.

I answered. "We climbed the cliff stairs on the other side of the bay and came down the western lava tube."

Mom and Alice gasped. Dad narrowed his eyes.

"It took half the time the overland route does," Jasper explained quietly, "and we couldn't get out of the village any other way without being in Larry's direct line of sight. He had a gun on him."

Dad's eyes flickered in acknowledgment. "What was he doing there?"

"We don't really know," said Jazz. "He was watching us we think, but he seemed to be alone."

"Do you think he followed you there?" Dad posed, appalled.

I faced Dad and stared into his worried eyes. "It's possible, but it may also have been a coincidence. When Jasper and I came through here on our way back, I found this in the bushes." I pulled the hair scrunchie from one of my pockets.

Mom gasped and lifted her shaking hands to cover her mouth. "That's Bella's. She was wearing it this morning."

I nodded. "It know it's hers. There are three possibilities, two of which I think are more likely. The first one is that Jimmy removed the hair scrunchie-"

Emmett interrupted. "That's not likely, is it?"

I shook my head. "No. The other two are more probably. Bella either removed it and left it for us as a clue, or it came off accidentally as she was taken or left. Emmett, where exactly was Bella standing when you _left_ her alone?"

He stiffened at my accusatory statement, responding through gritted teeth. "Over here on the south-west corner of the temple."

"I found this over there, on the north side where the tiki is." Whatever the explanation for Bella's loss of the scrunchie, it gave us a direction to search in. A horrible thought occurred to me. If they'd been running through the jungle for two hours, what clues or evidence had they inadvertently destroyed?

"What areas did you search?" I asked, as my eyes darted to all of them.

They all fidgeted nervously, except Dad.

"We searched the area around where Emmett was attacked and to the east," Dad said.

I exhaled in relief. "Did you find anything?"

"We made it as far as the eastern bay. There were drag marks on the beach."

Jasper jerked in excitement. "A boat?"

Emmett flexed his huge arm muscles, cracking the knuckles of his fisting hands.

Dad, aware of Emmett's dwindling patience, answered the question. "Perhaps. The drag marks were certainly wide enough to indicate that a boat was beached there."

I tensed. "Did you see any footsteps in the sand?"

Dad's eyes flickered uneasily. "Yes. The wind had blown the sand around, but there _were_ tracks running in both directions from the water. Some of the tracks leading back to the water were deeper, as though someone was carrying a weight they didn't have when the arrived. But, there was only one set in either direction, not two."

I mulled the intelligence over in my mind. It seems Jimmy came alone and only took Rosalie with him. Why not Bella as well? She was the one he expressed the most interest in on our previous two meetings.

"Did any of you _see_ the MORTE or _hear_ anything?" I asked.

They all shook their heads. "No, but we did find this," said Mom, as she pulled something from her bag.

It was a purple, rubber flip-flop. Rosalie had purple flip-flops.

I took the footwear from Mom's outstretched hand. "Did she wear these today?"

Mom nodded tearily. "Y-yes," she sniffed.

I pinched the bridge of my nose as I stared at the ground. "Then, I think it's safe to assume that Jimmy carried Rosalie to the beach. Dad, how long does it take to walk to the eastern bay from here?"

"About 30 or 40 minutes, give or take moving at a leisurely walk; less at a jog."

I nodded my head slowly as I calculated the times. If Jimmy was carrying Rose, then it would take him around 30 minutes at a run. If he came back for Bella after knocking Emmett on the head, then the timing of his departure from the beach would have been somewhere between 11.30 and noon. Jasper and I had probably missed him by half an hour.

"Let's summarize what we know," suggested Jasper, interrupting my reverie. He held his hand up to tick off the facts on his fingers, as we all listened attentively.

"One, Rosalie disappeared from the north side of the temple sometime between 9.30 and 10.30 this morning – potentially four and half hours ago. That's a significant head-start.

"Two, Emmett was lured in a south-easterly direction where he was attacked by Jimmy. This occurred sometime _before _11 am – around 3 hours ago.

"Three, Bella appears to have gone in a northerly direction, either taken there or lured by Jimmy, and only _after_ Emmett was disabled around 11 am. I think it's safe to assume that Bella would not have gone running off to look for Rosalie on her own.

"Four, we have evidence that Jimmy came ashore via the eastern bay using a boat, and it appears he has taken Rosalie with him. There was only one set of tracks in each direction, which suggests he carried Rose there after he attacked Emmett. By our estimates, he would have made it to the beach sometime around 11.30, perhaps just after.

"Five, we know Larry wasn't with Jimmy because he was in the western fishing village with us, and we know that Vivi does not appear to have played a part in today's events.

"What we don't know are these three things. One, where is Bella; two, where is Vivi, and three, where did Jimmy take Rosalie and why?"

Alice added to our known facts excitedly. "Oh! If Jimmy took Rosalie away on a boat, then he _must_ have gone in a northerly direction from the eastern bay. If he'd traveled south, we would have heard the outboard motor and we didn't," she squealed.

"That's right!" Mom gasped. "When we tested those Triton shells, the sound could be heard quite clearly from the beach in camp. Surely, we'd hear a motor boat just as well?"

I nodded in agreement – they were right. "Okay, make that two things we don't know. We can safely assume, that Jimmy took Rose in a northerly direction, which is the direction Bella seems to have gone as well, but where is she now, and why was Larry reconnoitering in the west?"

Emmett slowly looked up from the spot on the ground he hadn't taken his eyes off for the past five minutes. He looked like he'd had an epiphany.

"He's taking Rosalie to the west, but he took the long way round so we wouldn't notice him," Emmett theorized. "He probably sent Larry there to prepare for his arrival. You two being there was the coincidence, so he watched you to find out what you were doing. When he lost sight of you, he probably assumed you'd gone."

Dad exhaled and wiped the sweat from his brow. "But, I don't understand _why_ he'd take Rose and then lure Bella away to the north, knock Emmett out in the south, and arrive and leave from the east?" he said frustratedly. "It's downright muddled, like a riddle," he huffed.

My mouth thinned. "There's your answer Dad. I can't say for certain that he expected to find the girls at the temple today, but he certainly put some sort of plan into motion. Let's assume that Jimmy didn't know about our trip today."

Dad inclined his head in acceptance.

I continued with my theory. "Then the only way for us to go, _is_ west. Think about it, there's nothing to the east or the south of here, and he knows we can't get to the north. He also knows we've explored the west side of the island because you told him that. If _he's_ playing a game of cat and mouse with us, he'd want to make sure the mice could figure it out and follow him there during the daylight – before he gets bored. He didn't exactly cover his tracks, did he?"

Jasper concurred with my theory. "Okay, what do we do now, Edward?"

"We split up and take two paths. Jasper, I want you to use your tracking skills and pursue Bella north. She might have left more clues as to where she was going and we need to find her. Take Mom and Alice with you."

I turned to Dad and Emmett. "You two will come with me. We're going back to the fishing village through the lava tubes to retrieve Rosalie."

Everyone nodded their understanding. "Jasper and I will stay here while you all go back to camp and change into more appropriate clothing. Bring a water bottle each and two Triton shells. Dad, bring some medical supplies – we might need them." He nodded. "Be back in twenty minutes. Go!"

I watched my family run off to do my bidding, then paced over to the tiki statue Bella had been inspecting. Checking my watch, I noted the time as 1400 hours – 2 pm – another three hours 'til dusk. It would take us an hour and half to reach the fishing village. As ignominious as it sounds, I prayed we would find Bella there with Rose, and if not … I spun to face Jasper.

"I'm trusting you to find Bella, Jasper," I said quietly.

He was crouching on the ground by Rosalie's belongings. His head jerked in my direction.

"I will, Edward. You have my word, I'll do everything I can to find her and bring her home to you safely.

I smiled halfheartedly. "I recognize the irony of our situations, Jasper," I said quietly. "A little over a month ago, you were in the same situation as I am now."

He cocked his head inquiringly.

"When you led the rescue for me and Bella, you had to choose us over looking for Alice, because you knew where _we_ were," I said softly. A sob wrenched its way out of my chest. "Now, I'm the one leading a rescue for Rose over Bella, because I know with some certainty where Rose is. I never expected to be in this position, and I never want to have to choose again. I-I don't think I realized how hard a choice it must have been for you to make," I acknowledged apologetically.

Jasper walked over to me holding Rose's empty water bottle, the rubbings she'd made and her bag.

"It's a heartbreaking decision to have to make, Edward," he agreed quietly. He dropped Rose's belongings on the ground at our feet. "To chose between those that you love when it's a matter of life and death is not an easy thing to do. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to rationalize our decisions, we can only save one – we have to choose …" he trailed off, wiping a lone tear from his cheek.

I strengthened my resolve and stiffened my shoulders. I'd placed my faith in my brother's abilities, and I had to believe in that trust, or I'd surely go mad. He _would_ find her if I didn't. I heard my family returning before I saw them, as they hurried along the path. They were dressed in sturdy clothes and shoes and carried a pack, or a bag they could wear across their bodies.

Picking up my bag, I slung it across my body. I watched Jasper shrug the backpack over his shoulders, then I turned to address the search parties.

"Good luck to us all. Use the Triton shells to signal if you find them. If we're close by we'll hear and know the other team has been successful." I gulped hard before I voiced the next instruction. "Return to camp by 9 pm tonight with or without the girls. We can't afford to get picked off while we search blindly and lose track of each groups' approximate whereabouts. We'll only be successful if we work together."

Emmett was horrified. "No … no," he stuttered out. "You c-can't ask me to abandon the search for my wife and child before we find them. I won't do it!"

I strode over to him and gripped his massive shoulders. "I'm not asking you to abandon them, Emmett," I said quietly, "but we have to approach this rescue sensibly, or someone _will_ die this time." I remained silent for a few moments allowing my reasoning to sink in. "I'm risking Bella as well," I reminded him softly.

I let Emmett go and met the eyes of each of my family. "It's 2.30 now. We have barely three hours 'til nightfall – let's get moving."

We broke into our assigned groups and hurried off in two directions. I watched Jasper, Mom and Alice disappear into the northern jungle, then gestured to Emmett and Dad to follow me into the tunnel. I blinked back tears as the darkness engulfed us.

…

Bella's POV

My hair caught on yet another branch, tugging painfully at my scalp and halting my forward motion. I huffed as I yanked the strands free, leaving some behind as they caught on the tree. At this very moment, if I had a pair of scissors on my person, I'd cut the thick mass of brown curls from my head, and not shed a tear for its loss. But I didn't. Instead, I brushed it back with my fingers and twisted the length around itself forming a bun on the back of my head. I tucked the tail in and pulled it tightly, securing my hair.

I'd been on this treasure hunt for hours as I searched for Rose. I figured out Jimmy's first riddle easily. It was quite simple really, almost as though it was written for a child. I assume he wanted me to figure it out. I'd been traveling in a north-westerly direction all afternoon, until about an hour ago, when the clue he'd left me led me directly west away from the Volcano.

Jimmy must have planned this whole thing. There is no way he could stay ahead of me with Rose slowing him down, planting the clues and keep out of my sight. I pulled the last clue from my back pocket, and my notebook and pencil. I'd been leaving notes for Edward the entire time, telling him the direction I was going and the approximate time I'd been by.

I unfolded the grubby note:

_Princess_

_You've done well if you found this clue,_

_Now bring me the sixth one I left for you._

_Your prize I have netted, can you guess where it is?_

_There's a clue with the answer, Eve's temptation gives._

_In plain sight I have left it, if you figure this out,_

_Bring me six notes or dark sands will turn grave._

I checked the position of the sun in the sky. It was overhead, but arcing down toward the west as the afternoon waned. I estimated the time was about 3.30 – one and half hours to go.

He'd given me enough clues in this last riddle to figure out not only where I had to go next, but where I could go right now if I was prepared to risk Rose's life and forgo collecting the sixth clue.

I fumed at the injustice of it all. _The bastard! _

The sixth and last clue was in the fruit grove where the apples grew, but Rose was being held in the fishing village – I was certain of it. In the fifth riddle, Jimmy threatened to kill Rosalie and bury her body in the black sand beach if I didn't complete my tasks by 5 pm.

Either way, she was screwed and I was as well unless I could figure something else out. Swallowing a small mouthful of water, I capped the nearly empty bottle – and then chose.

Pulling my notepad and almost blunt pencil stub from my back pocket, I scribbled a note to Edward adding _'I love you, and I'm sorry' _to the bottom, in case I didn't make it. Rolling the note into a tube, I tied it to the branch of a tree with a piece of dried grass where he'd be sure to see it.

Turning around, I found the sun and followed it west.

I prayed it was the right choice.

…

Emmett's POV

As I jogged behind Dad and Edward along the tunnel, I could see daylight ahead. We'd slipped past the breakdown hole fifteen minutes earlier. Edward warned us about the cliff stairs. They were steep and would be harder going down than they were going up, because our body's own momentum would make it hard to stop if we were running. The rock stairs were narrow and slippery and there was also the missing bridge to be concerned about. We had to swing across on a rope.

I prayed in time to the pounding of my footsteps along the hard stone floor.

_'Oh, Rosie, please be okay. I can't live without you. You and the baby, you're _everything_ to me. I'm sorry, I didn't check on you. Can you forgive me? Please hang on, I'm coming for you. I'm coming, Rosie. Fight to stay alive, baby. Fight!'_

Edward led the way out of the tunnel and onto a narrow ledge. There was a sheer drop off the edge of the world into the ocean below. Jasper fell off this fucker? _Shit!_ I had an unrelenting urge to fall back against the cliff wall where it was safer. I ignored it.

Lifting his wrist to his face, my brother checked his watch. "It's 3.30. The descent will take around half an hour. Stay close to the cliff wall and take it easy going down. I'll lead," he said. I followed him quickly, allowing Dad to bring up the rear as I took the first step toward recovering my wife and child.

When I got my hands on that fucker, I was gonna rip out his spine with my bare hands while I stared into his dying eyes. The prick would rue the day he _ever_ targeted my wife and child.

I clenched my fists in anticipation.

…

Rosalie's POV

When I woke up, Jimmy was back and hauling me to my feet. I toppled backward as my numb limbs protested, falling against the tree.

_Fucker!_

"Cooperate, Blondie, I'm in a hurry, and in no mood for your shit." He yanked me forward by the ropes binding my wrists.

If my mouth was free, I'd spit in his face. I tried my best to stay upright on my feet which were screaming in agonies of pain.

"If you behave yourself, when we get to the boat, I'll remove your gag and give you some water. Do we have a deal?"

I considered shaking my head, but I was so thirsty. A tear of pity dripped from my eye as I nodded my agreement.

"Good."

Jimmy hauled me over his shoulder again and took off. Still blindfolded as I was, I had no sense of the direction he went, nor how long he ran for. I figure he went east if he had a boat. I heard the waves breaking long before the movement of his footsteps changed, as he ran down the soft sand.

My head swam sickeningly as he tossed me off his shoulder and into the boat. The inflated, rubber sides broke my fall, preventing what could have been a serious spinal injury had it been a timber or fiberglass vehicle. Nonetheless, the breath was once again knocked out of me when my back struck the side and I struggled to breath around the gag.

I felt the movement of the boat as Jimmy dragged it down the sand and into the water. The immediate bobbing motion added to my nausea and distress as I struggled to breath deeply. Beginning to panic, I thrashed around in the bottom of the boat. My head slammed against something hard, and I passed out again.

I saw it as a blessing.

…

When I woke up again – it might have been seconds, minutes or hours – the boat was speeding along, jerking up and down as it crested and then descended each incoming wave. I could breath once again, the gag having been removed, and my face was wet with the spray of sea water, cooling my burning skin.

I think I was sitting up on the floor of the rubber boat, propped against the side. My stomach roiled as I fought to control the nausea threatening to overpower me. My lips were so dry. I ran my equally dry tongue over lips that felt like sandpaper.

"So thirsty," I croaked out.

"There's a water bottle between your hands," said Jimmy.

_There was?_ I squeezed my numb hands together as much as I could manage. They were definitely holding something.

"It's a pop-top water bottle. Pull it with your teeth. You only get one bottle, so don't drop it and don't drink it all at once."

Lifting my aching arms, I guided the bottle to my parched mouth and popped the top. Pure, cold water – the essence of life – dribbled between my lips. I quenched my thirst slowly, mindful of his threat of only one bottle. After depressing the top to seal the bottle, I asked Jimmy the question burning in my brain.

"Where are you taking me?" I rasped.

"Around," he snapped.

Well that was helpful. I decided to try again. "Are we still near the island."

Silence.

"WELL, ARE WE?" I yelled hoarsely.

He kicked me in the leg making me hiss in pain. His boots were steel-tipped. I know this, because Emmett wears them when he works construction.

"Mind your mouth, bitch. If you want me to answer any of your questions, you'll ask them in a more respectful manner. Am I clear or do you want another lesson?"

I nodded timidly. "Yes, I understand. Um, please, tell me where you're taking me?"

"You'll find out soon. We're nearly there. Now shut the fuck up like a good scrag or I'll put a bullet in you now," he sneered. "Princess won't know I killed you before the deadline and threw your body to the sharks."

I gasped.

He cackled insanely. The thought of killing me seemed to thrill him.

I shut up and prayed.

…

Edward's POV

We reached the missing bridge on the stairs sooner than I thought we would. I slowed as we neared the spot, warning my brother and father what I was doing so they wouldn't run into the back of me. Pulling the binoculars from my bag, I trained them on the beach and the village in the distance.

Larry was still here. I couldn't see any sign of Jimmy or the girls, but there was a boat on the beach. He was here somewhere. I turned my head to address Dad and Emmett.

"There's a boat on the beach and Larry's still here as well. I didn't see any sign of Jimmy or the girls, but I know they're here – somewhere."

Emmett tried to lean past me for the rope. "Let's go then," he barked. "I want to find my wife and then I'm gonna tear that fucker's limbs off him and turn him into shark bait," he snarled.

I pushed him back gently, keeping a hold of his rigid forearms. "Just a moment, Emmett. When we get on the beach, we have to edge around the rocks in the water, then move up the black beach to the village. We need to use some stealth, man. If they see us, it's all over. Stick to the plan we outlined in the lava tube."

He narrowed his eyes at me. Predicting Emmett's behavior right now was a lost cause. He was running on fear and adrenalin. I needed him to rein it in, or someone was gonna get killed. I saw his jaw clench and his lips thin, as he got hold of himself and backed up a step.

Letting go of his tensely muscled arms, I gripped the cliff with one hand and slid the Hawaiian sword from my bag so I could lean out and snag the rope with the teeth. I explained how to wrap the rope around their arms, then run, jump and swing.

"Emmett, you go first, then you can help Dad over," I instructed.

He grunted and took the rope from me, while Dad and I walked back up the stairs so we weren't in his way. Emmett in his own estimable way, charged down the steps like a bull after a red flag and leapt into the air. My heart stuttered as he seemed to hang in mid air for a beat, and then he was landing on the other side.

Dad exhaled a huge breath of relief.

"You okay, Dad?"

He swallowed nervously. "Yes."

I looked at him worriedly. He was perspiring profusely as he stared at the vacant space he was expected to jump next.

"Are you sure?" I asked with concern.

He swallowed again and pulled his water bottle from his bag. "I'll be okay, Edward. Just give me a minute."

I gave him some privacy to collect himself, by turning my back on him to walk down the half a dozen steps to address Emmett.

"Em, wind the rope up and toss it back to me."

"'Kay," he replied.

He tossed it to me a moment later and I caught it easily, letting it unwind at my feet.

"Is Dad okay?" he asked quietly.

I caught his eyes and stared at him meaningfully. He nodded curtly in understanding.

"Be ready, Emmett."

"I will be."

I walked back up the stairs to Dad. "Are you okay? If you can't do this, I understand. I'll take the first aid kit and you can go back up to the lava tube."

Dad grabbed my hand and squeezed it reassuringly, before taking the rope. "I'm fine, Edward. I'm just experiencing a touch of vertigo. Rose is going to need me – I have to go."

I paused while I briefly considered forcing Dad to stay behind if he was unwell, but he was right, we would _need _him.

I clasped Dad's forearm and squeezed it encouragingly. "Don't look down, Dad. I made that mistake last time. Just focus on Emmett. He'll pull you in. Don't let go of the rope until he tells you to."

Dad wound the rope around his arm. "I won't, son. See you on the other side," he said blithely.

His words were inexplicably out of context compared to his anxious manner of just moments earlier. Before I'd finished the thought, he was gone, running full pelt down the stairs in a movement reminiscent of Emmett's.

He leapt in a balletic motion that reminded me of a fleeing gazelle.

I watched as he flew through the air. A few seconds later he was landing safely on the opposite step, being clutched in Emmett's protective arms. They clapped each other on the shoulders in a manly expression of mutual congratulation. A slight smile of triumph played around Dad's mouth. Irrespective of the current circumstances, he deserved to be proud of himself for making the jump as well as he had. He wasn't a young man anymore – I forgot that sometimes.

Moments later, I had the rope in hand and I followed the two elder Cullen's across the six foot expanse, landing safely on the ledge. Emmett pulled me in and I dropped the rope, tossing it back into the vacant space.

"Thanks, Emmett."

He grunted. "Yeah. We ready?"

"Yep. Let's go."

…

Jasper's POV

Holding out my hand, I assisted Alice and then Mom over a fallen log near the fruit grove. We'd been tracking Bella for nearly two hours now, running or jogging with short stints of walking to allow Mom and Alice to recover between sprints. We were close to catching up with Bella, I could feel it.

The clever girl had left notes along the way indicating where she was going and the approximate time she'd been through the area. The first note she'd left for Edward explained Jimmy's plan (as much as she knew) and her role in his game. She assured Edward repeatedly in each note that she was okay.

This last note, the fifth one explained the whereabouts of the sixth and final clue and the difficult choice she'd made. She was running out of time and had decided to head for the fishing village without the last clue. I intended to collect it and deliver it for her – with finality.

I decided _not_ to read the parting words that Bella had written to Edward. Her words in their brevity were poignant – they brought home to me the very real possibility that Bella or Rosalie, or god forbid both of them, might not make it today if we didn't prevail against Jimmy.

I could not – NO! – I would _not_ take that chance with Alice and Mom. I made a decision and I prayed I would not regret it.

"Mom, Alice, I'm going to ask you to do something I know you're not going to want to do, but I'm asking you to trust me. Will you do that?"

Mom lifted her flushed and exhausted face to me. "What do you need from us, Jasper?"

I breathed in deeply. "I'm going to run with the last clue to the fishing village, but, I'll move faster if I'm alone."

Alice panted as she tried to catch her breath. "What do you want us to do?"

"Alice, do you remember the way home from the fruit grove?"

"Yes."

Good. "I want you to take Mom and head home, but don't go into the house. I want you to hide in the fern cave of the lava tube and wait for someone to come and get you."

Mom looked startled. "But-"

"No buts, Mom, please?" I implored. "I need to know you're both as safe as you can be, in case … " I trailed off, unable to completely voice my fears out loud.

Mom's determined expression faltered as she recognized how dire the circumstances were, if I was willing to abandon them in the jungle alone. I drove the point home anyway.

"Going home is what I'm _asking_ you both to do," I said firmly. "My focus has changed now after this last note from Bella. It's no longer a search for Bella, it's a race to get to the fishing village before the deadline."

"Jasper, we can help you. Don't ask us to abandon you now!" Alice said tearily.

Stepping forward, I held her dainty shoulders in my quivering hands.

"Alice, it's not that," I told her softly. "I know you both want to help, but I can't leave you out here alone, or allow you to follow me while I race ahead. You'll be sitting ducks – we don't know yet where Vivi is, remember? At least while you're walking _away_ from the battlefield, you're moving targets and relatively safe the closer you get to home."

She still looked uncertain. She looked at Mom for confirmation. Mom nodded and I breathed a silent sigh of relief.

I stared into Alice's eyes. "Alice, can you do this for me, please?"

She hugged me tightly, full of fear for what lay ahead. After one more moment of indecision, she nodded affirmatively. "Yes. I'll need a flashlight."

I kissed her temple in gratitude, then dug into my bag for the tool. Handing it to her, I relayed final instructions.

"Move as fast as you can. It will be dark by 5.30. Bypass the camp if you can and go straight to the fern cave. Promise me both that you won't come back."

"I promise," they both said.

It was good as I was going to get. I had to trust they would do what was best for all of us. Leaning down, I dragged Alice into my arms and hugged her tightly as I inhaled her scent. She smelled of the frangipani blossom in the shampoo Bella had made.

"I love you, Alice," I whispered near her ear. "Look after Mom, will you?" She nodded, as she stared tearily into my own moistened eyes. I kissed her hard, then let her go.

Enfolding a tearful Mom in my arms, I hugged her as though I might never see her again. "I love you, Mom. Look after Alice for me?" My eyes asked her another question, one more oblique but no less comprehended. She nodded her head infinitesimally that she understood what I was asking.

"I will, son," she sniffled. "Please be careful."

"I will. Now go. I want to make sure you're heading off in the right direction before I leave."

I watched them leave the fruit grove, heading east. They turned and lifted an arm in a final goodbye as they entered the jungle, moving out of sight. It had taken less than five minutes. I checked my watch – the time was 3.45 – I'd be cutting it fine.

Turning on my heel, I sprinted into the fruit grove and straight for the largest tree which had a fishing net hanging from its branches. Wrenching it down, I reached inside for the clue.

_Princess_

_You've found my last clue,_

_The net with the note is a message for you._

_Head west to the village,_

_Will it be Fishing or Pillage?_

_Either way, I'll be waiting for you._

_Kisses and hugs – I can't wait. Can you?_

Smug bastard! The prick thought he had it all sewn up.

I pocketed the note, slung the net over my shoulders and ran from the fruit grove, making a quick detour to the pig swamp. I had less than an hour to run four miles.

Lucky for me, I'd been on the track team in college.

...

Edward's POV

We crept around the rocks through water that was shallower than it was this morning. The tide was out. I crouched down as I came upon the black sand beach, sliding onto my belly out of sight of the village. Dad and Emmett copied my movements as they inched up beside me. Our dark clothes help to camouflage us against the sand.

"Did you see the boat?" whispered Emmett with a note of excitement.

I had. "Yes. Let's hope it's still there later."

I pulled the binoculars from my bag and trained them on the village. Jimmy was sitting on a tree stump near the creek drinking a beer as dusk began to fall, while Larry patrolled the outer perimeter with the Russian assault weapon.

My Glock was tucked into the waist of Jimmy's pants. My teeth protested as I clenched my jaw viciously. If it was the last thing I did today, I would retrieve _my_ gun from that fucker!

I didn't see Rosalie anywhere in the open, and Bella hadn't arrived yet. I lowered the glasses to check my watch – it was twenty to five – before raising them to my eyes again. I turned on the night vision capability, as the daylight departed rapidly, leaving behind the rising twilight.

Panning the glasses around the village, I saw furtive movement in the jungle a hundred yards or so north of the pathway leading eastward. Focusing intently, I pinpointed the movement and identified the target, breathing a sigh of relief and recognition even through the camouflage he'd applied.

It was Jasper and he was alone. His face, hair and clothes were covered with drying mud. I smirked ironically – my brother was giving me a run for my money in the military know-how stakes. I searched the area beside him. Mom, Alice and Bella were nowhere to be seen. I watched him reconnoitering the village. He ducked quickly out of view when Larry passed close by his position.

I lowered the glasses again to report to Emmett and Dad.

"Jimmy's here now, and so is Larry. Jasper's just arrived. He's on the east side of the village about 100 yards north of the pathway. None of the girls are with him, and I can't see Rosalie. I figure they've got her tied up in one of the huts."

Emmett cracked his knuckles reflexively. It sounded like a gun-shot in the quiet of the evening. My head spun to Jimmy and I lifted the glasses to my eyes. No reaction – he hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary.

"Don't do that, Emmett!" I hissed at him. "Noise travels at night."

He grimaced. "Sorry. Let's storm those fuckers, get the drop on them."

I shook my head vehemently. "No! We stick to the plan. I want you to creep along the beach as close to the water as you can. Get in if you have to, but absolutely no splashing. The darkness of the water and sand will hide you. When you come out of the water on the opposite end of the beach, crouch low and creep up into the village behind the huts. I'm certain you'll find Rosalie in one of them. Get in, grab her and get out. Don't waste time on anything else, Emmett. Have you got that?"

He scowled. "Yes!"

He made to move off.

"Wait!" I whispered quickly.

He turned his head to me inquiringly. "Rub some of that black, muddy sand on your face and hands. It'll help to hide you. And, Emmett?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful, man. I love you."

He grunted quietly. "Love you too, bro." Then he was gone as he crept away into the dusk.

I turned my attention to my father. "Stay here, Dad, out of sight," I whispered, as I repeated the plan for both our benefits. "I'll call on you if I need you, otherwise wait for Emmett to come back with Rose. When they get here, lead them around the rocks to the other bay. You can treat Rosalie there."

"I understand, son," he replied quietly. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to try and intercept Bella before she gets here. I'd rather _not_ get into a fight with Jimmy while she's in the direct line of fire."

Lifting the glasses to my eyes again, I checked on Emmett's position. He was quietly paddling in the water parallel to the beach. I watched him slide out of the water and run up the beach in a low crouch. He stopped briefly to apply mud to his face, then he disappeared into the darkness of the falling night and the jungle.

"Emmett made it," I reported to Dad, as I turned the glasses on the village again. Jimmy stood up and walked over to one of the huts. He peered quickly inside, then strode away again apparently satisfied.

"Rose is in the third hut. Jimmy just checked on her. What's the time?" I asked Dad, as I followed Jimmy with the glasses. He stalked over to the eastern pathway looking for Bella. He looked pissed off, but also gleeful.

"It's five minutes to five," he told me.

I lowered the glasses. "Alright, time to move. I'll see you soon … but if I don't, know that I love you, Dad. Tell Mom ..." I hiccoughed, as I forced down a sob.

Dad clasped my shoulder. "I'll tell her," he promised solemnly. "I love you too, son, and I expect you to come back to us alive and well. Edward, I-I'm sorry I didn't listen to you."

I closed my eyes in acknowledgment of Dad's misjudgment of the situation with the pirates. "I know," I said simply. I handed him the binoculars so he could keep track of the action. "I've got to go," I said, as I began to slither away on my belly.

"Wait!"

I twisted my torso around to address my father. "What is it?"

Dad reached over and pulled my shirt sleeve up. He quickly and quietly tightened the buckles of the arm brace and pulled the sleeve down again.

I gave Dad a half smile. "Thanks."

"Just looking after you," he said, returning my half smile.

"You always do."

I disappeared into the night to find the love of my life, and kill a monster.

…

Carlisle's POV

As I laid on the sand on my belly, I looked through the binoculars and wondered where my wife was. I said a little prayer asking God to keep my greatest love safe from harm, tacking on a request for the rest of us. I vowed not to argue with Edward ever again when it came to the safety of this family against our enemies.

Training the glasses on the huts, I tried, but failed to see any sign of Emmett or Rosalie. I panned to the beach – they weren't there … _yet_.

Moving the glasses to the eastern side, I saw Edward slither along the sand, then disappear into the bushes just as Jimmy turned in his direction. I held my breath as he stalked toward the spot where Edward was hiding.

"Is that you, my little princess?" he called out in a slimy voice. "There's no need to hide from me. You're late, you know."

There was no answer.

Where _was_ Bella?

He stalked back to the eastern pathway. "Come out, come out, wherever you are, Princess. It's time for me to collect my prize."

I heard the faint sound of scuffling from the area where Edward said Jasper had been. I held my breath as Jimmy pulled the gun from his waistband and cocked it, preparing to fire as he peered into the darkness that was settling pervasively over the village.

Jimmy spun around, on edge and dangerous as his anxiety rose.

"COME OUT, PRINCESS!" he screamed agitatedly.

There was still no sign of her.

I watched Jasper pull a slingshot from his pocket and a lava rock. He aimed and fired into the village, hitting the stump Jimmy had been sitting on. Larry whirled around, reacting to the sudden sound and fired off a shot reflexively.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" screamed Jimmy. He wore an expression of insane viciousness as he stalked toward Larry.

Larry stepped back toward the Jungle where Jasper was hiding. He ducked down again, out of sight.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry, Jimmy. I h-heard s-something o-over there," he said in a petrified voice as he pointed. I'd be petrified as well. I didn't want Bella anywhere _near_ that lunatic. I shuddered to think what he'd already done to Rosalie.

Jimmy leaned in close to Larry to berate him. He was spitting in his face as he spewed forth a vitriol that was putrid in its intensity.

"You stupid fucking cunt! There's nothing there!" he screamed. "We're all alone here, 'cept for that cunt in the hut over there. Why I keep you around, you dumb fuck, I'll never know. You're the most brain-dead prick I've ever had the misfortune to know. If you weren't Vivi's cousin, I'd shoot you now!"

Larry took another few steps back, regaining some personal space from Jimmy. "I-I'm sorry, J-J-Jimmy. I th-th-thought it m-might have been those t-two I saw here earlier t-today."

Jimmy stepped menacingly toward Larry. "WHAT TWO?" he spat.

"Ah, ahm, the b-blonde guy and the r-redhead," Larry stuttered nervously.

I think Larry had just signed his own death warrant where Jimmy was concerned. He lifted the gun and placed the tip of the barrel against the middle of Larry's forehead. I heard the gun cock. I watched Larry quiver in terror, and then his pants darkened as he lost control of his bladder.

Jimmy sneered in disgust at Larry's failure to contain his bodily functions.

"When. Were. They. Here. Dickhead?"

Larry gulped as he cowered before the livid Jimmy. He appeared to have forgotten that he carried the larger, more lethal weapon, which he could have defended himself with.

"This m-morning. They l-left around lunchtime and w-went b-back to their c-camp," he explained hurriedly. "They said somethin' about surfin'."

Jimmy's lip curled. "What were they doing here?" he enunciated slowly.

"Ahm, l-looking for fishing hooks," Larry replied.

Jimmy's face took on a placid expression as he stepped away from Larry. He turned his back and I watched Larry calm slightly thinking he was off the proverbial hook.

He wasn't.

Jimmy turned slowly, lifting the gun in his outstretched arm, to point the weapon at Larry's head once again.

"What I don't understand, you overgrown retard, is _why_ you thought that information wasn't important enough to tell me?" He didn't give Larry a chance to respond. "You had a simple job to do, you moron. GUARD THE FUCKING VILLAGE! And what did you do?" Jimmy laughed maniacally. "You let them go!"

Jimmy shook his head in disappointment. "I told Vivi that your parent's being first cousins hadn't done you any favors in a mental capacity. She said, _'you were okay, just a touch slow'_," he mimicked. Look's like I was proven right. AGAIN!" he screamed.

Larry spluttered incomprehensibly.

Jimmy raked a hand through his dirty long hair, pulling the leather tie holding the ponytail in place against the back of his neck.

"I'm gunna put you _and_ me out our misery," Jimmy sneered as he yanked the assault weapon from Larry's hands. He gave it up without an argument. He really was a fool.

I held my breath, waiting for the shot that would end a life with unrelenting finality, when I saw Bella step into the camp ten minutes past her deadline. She had one arm behind her back. It bothered me that Edward hadn't been able to intercept her.

_Where was he?_

If nothing else, Bella's timely arrival had just saved Larry's life.

He owed her.

Jimmy turned his head as he followed Bella's slow walk into the village.

"You're late!" he spat at her, as he abandoned Larry and stalked toward her. "I win, bitch, and the pregnant cunt dies because of YOU," he screamed.

Bella gulped, turning in place to face Jimmy as he circled her. She kept her eyes on him the whole time, never turning her back to him.

Larry looked on with delirious relief as he quietly celebrated his stay of execution. He hadn't moved from his place on the edge of the jungle. I saw Jasper stand up and throw a fishing net over Larry. He pulled it tightly around him, twisting the back of the net, then yanked him backwards into the jungle. I heard a quiet thump and assumed Jasper had knocked him out.

Complete darkness had fallen over the island. Without the glasses, I wouldn't have had a hope of seeing anything. I reckoned that that was the reason Edward hadn't been able to find Bella before she arrived, otherwise he would have stopped her, forcibly if necessary.

A sudden sound from the beach to the west alerted me that someone was coming. Training the binoculars to my left, I spied Emmett running silently along the sand with Rosalie in his arms. She was trussed up like a turkey.

I checked once more on the events unfolding in the village, then packed the glasses into my bag. It was time for me to get to work. I slithered backward on my stomach into the shadows cast by the rocks, before I stood up to intercept Emmett and Rosalie. I quietly directed them into the shallows and around the outcropping into the next bay so I could treat Rose in relative safety.

...

Edward's POV

_Fuck! Where was Bella!_

I searched the jungle as quietly as possible, looking for her. I moved into an intercept position on the pathway, waiting for her, until I realized too late that I had missed her. She'd passed by me without my noticing.

Doubling back, I tracked her hurriedly along the rocky trail as I listened to Jimmy's rant at Larry with bated breath, hoping he'd end the stupid fucker and save me the trouble.

No such luck. Bella stepped into the village before I could stop her. She held something in her hand along the back of her leg. I couldn't see what it was, but I guessed she was planning on defending herself and Rosalie, however ineffective her efforts might be.

She wasn't going down without a fight! That's my girl!

But, I couldn't let her – it was suicide on her part, pure and simple. I pulled the Hawaiian sword from my bag as well as the knuckle-duster, letting the bag drop quietly to the ground beside me. My hands tightened around the weapons in rage as I listened to the lunatic fucker scream abuse at my Bella.

_Son of a bitch! _

She kept turning in place as he circled her, never turning her back on him. Smart girl, I thought proudly.

"You lose. I win," Jimmy crowed to Bella. "I told you I'd win, but you didn't believe me," he boasted.

Bella eyed him warily. "I had trouble with the last clue," she responded.

He cocked his head curiously. "You must not be as bright as I thought," he huffed.

Bella quirked a brow at the insult.

Jimmy shrugged philosophically. "Oh well, never mind. I always planned on killing the blonde bitch anyway."

Bella gasped with shock.

"I did think about giving her to Larry," Jimmy continued offhandedly, "but he's a dickhead, so he doesn't deserve a reward."

Bella took a half step toward Jimmy, making my eyes bug out of my head in horror. _What the fuck is she doing?_

"Please, don't kill her!" she said shrilly. "I'll do _whatever_ you want. Don't make Rose and her baby pay for _my_ mistake," she begged.

Jimmy pocketed the Glock, leaving the butt hanging out of his jeans, and pointed the assault weapon at the ground. Bringing a hand up, he placed his index finger against his chin as though he was considering her request.

"Let me see. Do I want to leave her alive? Hmmm," he pondered.

Bella swallowed. I saw her arm move against the side of her body. What was that she carried?

"NO!" Jimmy yelled.

It was time to move into action.

As I hid behind a tree, I prepared to charge Jimmy, when I heard a branch snapping. My head jerked around and I focused on the dark shadow moving stealthily through the trees.

My breath caught in my throat. Was it friend or enemy?

Holding the sword out in front of me, I prepared to take my first victim. I relaxed a fraction when I saw it was Jasper. He crept toward me with a sling shot in his hand and one of the tasers. His pockets were bulging with lava rock projectiles.

Our eyes met and communicated in an eye-blink just how grateful we both were to find each other uninjured.

I mouthed a silent question to my brother. _'Where's Larry?'_

_'Knocked out,'_ he mouthed back.

I nodded my understanding.

He tapped my hand to gain my attention as he mouthed, _'Emmett and Rose?'_

I pointed at the beach. I'd seen Emmett creep between the huts with his wife in his arms a few minutes ago, leaving only Bella to rescue.

Pointing to the slingshot, then the back of my head, and then to Jimmy, I communicated to Jasper that I wanted him to knock Jimmy out so I could get to Bella.

He game me a thumbs up, stowing the taser in a pocket on his pants leg, and retrieved two rocks from his shirt in its place.

As Jasper took aim and fired, Bella unwittingly struck at the same time. She lifted her arm, bringing up a lump of wood shaped like a club, to swing with all her might at the assault weapon in Jimmy's hand.

He screamed and lunged toward her, flinging his arm up to defend himself against Bella's attack. It was enough to take him out of the line of Jasper's fire and the missile missed him.

But, Bella didn't.

Her swinging club connected with the wrist of the hand holding the gun with a sickening thud.

Jimmy screamed in pain and rage. He dropped the gun, lunging towards Bella as he reached into his pocket to pull my Glock from his pants.

My past, present and future with Bella flashed before my eyes in mere milliseconds. I wanted what the precognitive images conveyed. I wanted it badly or my life would be over.

I heard myself screaming at her as though from a great distance.

"RUN, BELLA! RUN!"

She looked up, startled to see me as I charged from the jungle, vaguely aware that Jasper ran beside me.

"EDWARD, NO!" she screamed at me.

Jimmy spun on his heel. He raised the gun and pointed it at me as I barreled towards him. I felt as though I was moving in slow motion, unable to make my legs move fast enough to reach Jimmy in time to stop him.

"RUUNN, BELLLA!"

She stared at me, frozen in place.

"I'M BEGGGGING YOU!" I screamed.

I almost sobbed when she turned and raced away from Jimmy toward the beach. My heart stuttered when she tripped and sprawled on the ground. I heaved a gasp of relief when she picked herself up and ran in a zig-zag movement through the village.

Jasper and I were nearly upon Jimmy, when he made a choice that really _was_ a guaranteed death sentence – for him. The decision was made in a split second, but I saw in Jimmy's eyes what he planned to do as he grinned evilly, and swiveled around on the balls of his feet.

He took aim at Bella.

And he fired.

…

*Jkazzie ducks and hides*

…

A/N: Photos are on my blog and the link is: jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com

Scrag in Australia is a derogatory term. The thesaurus defines the word as meaning a thin or boney person. In Australia, it is used in reference to women only and implies slutty behavior whether deserved or not. Not sure if the term is used in the US or other parts of the world.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 Teaser …

I watched with a kind of detached horror, the bullet, as it left the barrel of the Glock in a barely discernible puff of smoke.

The scene playing out was surreal and implausible for me to fathom. It was like watching a slow motion reel of special FX action, as my eyes tracked the bullet in close-up mode directly to its target.

The entire horrifying incident was over in a nanosecond, the bullet unerringly accurate, as it slammed into Bella, bringing her down like a hunted animal. A howl of sorrow was wrenched from me, as I watched her small, slender body pitch forward and slam against the ground. Her torso rebounded once, before it stilled.

She didn't get up, and she didn't move.

A piercing roar of outrage erupted from my chest, as I launched myself at that murderous son of a bitch, Jimmy. My booted foot connected with the small of his naked back as I kicked the worthless fucker from here to eternity.

I vaguely comprehended Jasper sprinting past me as he went to Bella's aid in my stead. My conscience was tearing into pieces for choosing Jimmy's defeat over my lover's wellbeing.

But, I had to do it.

Racing after him, I vowed to Bella that I would make Jimmy regret every crime he'd ever committed, every commandment he'd ever broken, every sin he'd never repented, and every evil deed he'd only ever considered.

He would beg for mercy by the time I was finished with him. If he'd ever had any redeeming qualities, perhaps Jimmy would gain salvation from the Devil, or maybe God, if he was truly lucky. But, of one thing I was absolutely certain - the world _would be_ a better place without him.

I watched, as Jasper skidded to a halt beside my Bella. Falling to his knees, he rolled her body over and placed his fingers against the artery in her neck, searching for the pulse that would confirm whether she'd lived or died.

The seconds ticked by in terminal slowness as I waited.

She still hadn't moved.

Jimmy groaned at my feet as he lay slumped against the tree stump I'd kicked him into. One booted foot pressed against his back while the other ground down viciously on the hand still holding my gun. He flexed his imprisoned fingers in a frantic move to gain his freedom, but his efforts were useless.

Without overthinking about what I was doing, I reached down with a purposeful movement, and slid the blade of the sword into his side below the ribs, avoiding any major organs. I didn't want him dead yet. He still had a beating coming, before I ended his sorry existence.

The blade cut through his flesh, sliding into his body as though he was crafted from modeling clay. But clay didn't bleed, and he did. I watched dispassionately, as blood spurted from the jagged wound made by the serrated shark's teeth. It dribbled down the conical blade of the marlin bill that protruded from his body.

I left it inside him, blithely ignoring his paroxysms of pain and suffering, and waited for news of Bella.

Jasper looked up, an expression of relief on his face as he showed me the thumbs-up signal.

Bella was alive.

And now, Jimmy would die.

I thought it was a fair exchange, as I grabbed the hilt of the sword and wrenched it from Jimmy's body. He screamed in holy agony and writhed on the ground below my boot, as blood gurgled ominously from his mouth.

…

You have FlSunshine to thank for the teaser. She was the one who suggested it.

There might be a few editing changes, but otherwise what you've read is the start of chapter 27. Do you want more?

Regards, Jkazzie


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews to chapter 26 and the chapter 27 teaser. You guys are amazing … and bloodthirsty. Wow! The teaser generated more reviews than _any other_ Wrecked chapter … ever! I haven't had a chance to respond yet, because I'm busy writing when I'm not working or sleeping. I will respond to all signed reviews at the first opportunity, probably this weekend.

…

From Chapter 27 Teaser …

_Jasper looked up, an expression of relief on his face as he showed me the thumbs-up signal._

_Bella was alive._

_And now, Jimmy would die._

_I thought it was a fair exchange, as I grabbed the hilt of the sword and wrenched it from Jimmy's body. He screamed in holy agony and writhed on the ground below my boot, as blood gurgled ominously from his mouth._

Chapter 28 – One down, two to go

Throwing the bloody, gore covered sword to one side, I stepped off Jimmy's back leaving my other boot slowly crushing his hand. I leaned in with my full weight, twisting my heel viciously, until I heard the satisfying snap of the delicate bones.

Jimmy let loose a blood-curdling scream, followed by a stream of gurgled abuse that damned me to the fires of hell and maligned my parentage.

"_Fuck you_, Red," Jimmy screamed. "Get the fuck off my hand, you cunt, before I chew through your ankle." He tugged furiously, as he tried in vain to free himself from beneath my relentless boot.

I tortured him with implacable calm, increasing the pressure until I saw the bones in two fingers snap and puncture the skin. He grunted, as blood spewed from his mouth in a river of red, staining the sand scarlet.

It seems I might have pierced a vital organ after all.

Oh well.

Stepping off his hand, I crouched over his prone body and yanked my gun out of his shattered hand. Despite his debilitating injuries, he fought to keep hold of it, even as he was choking on the blood filling his mouth.

"How you doing there, Jimmy?" I asked him in a dangerously soft voice.

He opened piercing, soulless, light blue eyes to stare up at me malevolently. "Y-you cunt," he slurred. "I'm gunna rip your (he paused to spit) fucking heart out."

I smirked, following up with a mocking chuckle. "You know, Jimmy, you're not really in any position to be calling the shots anymore. Have you thought about that?"

"Fuck (he coughed) you!"

I pretended to consider. "Hmmm. No, I think you're the one who's _fucked,_ right about now."

I stood up and slipped the Glock into the waistband of my pants, and stowed the knuckle-duster in an open pocket on my uniform trousers. Cocking my head to one side, I watched and waited for the escape attempt I knew was coming.

He didn't disappoint me.

Jimmy immediately tried clambering to his knees, but I was ready for him, kicking him in the ass, and sending him sprawling. He shrieked, as he fell hard on the ground, jarring the injury to his side. He was bleeding profusely from the wound, the thick, sticky arterial blood, soaking his filthy jeans and the ground he laid on.

Leaning down, I grabbed him by the back of the neck and hauled him to his knees, throwing a punch to his kidney near the wound. He doubled over, vomiting beer, blood and bile all over his shoes.

"Still think you're gonna fuck with me, Jimmy?" I hissed at him. "I can torture you for far longer than you can endure it. Have you thought about that?"

His moaned response was drowned out by the tones of the Triton shell, as Jasper sounded out the call we'd practiced that warned of a medical emergency. It wasn't the call we'd agreed upon for this mission, but I dismissed it as unimportant.

I knew Dad would come to Bella's assistance as soon as he could, depending on Rosalie's condition. I glanced toward them where Bella lay motionless on the ground, face-down once again, while Jasper pressed down on her wound to staunch the bleeding.

As if he knew I was watching, Jasper looked toward me. An expression of worry marked his face, replacing the relief he'd projected only minutes earlier. I felt my heart spasm in my chest, fearing her condition was more precarious than he'd first indicated.

Jasper yelled out to me. "Hurry up, Edward, Bella needs you!"

"Is she okay?" I yelled back, my voice shrill with fear and anguish.

"Yes, I think so, but she's bleeding heavily."

I vacillated between going to Bella and finishing Jimmy, almost deciding on Bella, when Jimmy turned his head sharply and tried to bite me. I jerked back before he could sink his bloody teeth into my belly.

Asshole!

I'm sorry, Bella, I told her silently, I just need a few more minutes.

Twisting Jimmy's uninjured arm behind his back, I spoke close to his ear. "You think you can bite me, Jimmy. I don't think so." I shook him roughly. "What were you planning to do with Rose and Bella, you filthy animal?"

He sniggered. "Wouldn't you like to know, arsehole?"

I twisted his arm higher against his spine. "Yes, I would." I bit out, "and if you want your death to be quick and relatively painless, you'll be a little more forthcoming. Now, what were you planning to do?"

He blew me off with a exaggerated sense of bravado, raising his shattered hand with its twisted fingers and showed me the finger. He was even more of a fool than the hapless Larry, who right now, had a better chance of survival than this stupid prick.

I tried another line of questioning. "What are you doing on this island? What are you looking for?"

I heard the blood gurgle in his chest. "Go screw yourself!" he yelled, then he coughed as he began to choke on his own bodily fluids. He slumped forward, gasping for breath, his energy depleted.

I shrugged. "Okay, if you're not gonna talk, I'll just ask Larry. He'll tell me whatever I want to know. After what you nearly did to him, I don't think he'll show you any loyalty."

Jimmy struggled to suck air into his lungs enough to speak. "Try your damnedest, soldier boy, he won't tell you anything, 'cos he don't want to deal with Vivi," he told me gleefully.

"Yes, he will," I refuted confidently.

"Not if you can't find him?" he sniggered.

"What makes you think I don't already have him?" I asked him softly.

He considered the possibility. "Nah, he might be as dumb as two bricks, but he's a wily bastard." He paused to cough and spit. "He'll be waitin' somewhere-"

I interrupted Jimmy's hopeful ramble. "Oh, he's waiting alright, but not the way you think he is," I chortled. "At this very moment, Larry's caught up tighter than a dolphin in a tuna net taking a little nap in the jungle."

I watched Jimmy's eyelids flicker nervously. "Liar!" he choked out.

I'd had it with this worthless lump of trash. Reaching down, I gripped Jimmy's shattered hand, twisting and squeezing it tightly. While he slumped forward and grappled to free himself, I saw Dad run up from the beach and drop down beside Bella. I breathed a sigh of relief that she was receiving the best possible medical attention she could ever hope to receive, as I watched him open his bag to treat the bullet wound.

"Agghhh! Let go of me, fucker!"

His screams drew the attention of Dad, Jasper and even Emmett, as he trotted up from the beach with Rosalie held protectively in his arms. They glanced our way briefly, then purposely ignored us, dismissing Jimmy's anguish as irrelevant.

My heartache lightened to see Rose looking remarkably well, considering the ordeal she'd lived through. Emmett sat Rose down on the ground at Bella's head, where her presence wouldn't interfere with Dad and Jasper. She spoke to them as they worked on Bella, reaching out with a tentative hand to stroke tenderly over Bella's tangled hair.

Jimmy took note of the loving scenery, sniggering merrily at the damage he'd caused. "Well, well, if it isn't the cunt and the Princess. What a pair. A pregnant slut consorting with royalty."

"Mind your _fucking_ manners, you lump of shit," I retorted angrily, "or I'll let her husband (I wrenched his body around so he could see my giant of a brother powering toward us) rip out your spine like I know he wants to."

Jimmy whimpered in terror, and I felt vindicated that he was getting a taste of the treatment he liked to dish out to defenseless people. Emmett grinned evilly, as he slowed and stalked toward us, cracking the knuckles of his massive fists. He remained ominously silent, his vengeful eyes dark like obsidian, while a menacing growl sounded from his chest.

My gaze connected with Emmett's. "Left pant pocket," I instructed. He grinned and sauntered toward us, reaching down to slip the knuckle-duster from its hiding place.

Emmett made sure that Jimmy saw it. He struggled desperately as I twisted his arm harder, trying to keep control of his flailing body. I heard his elbow joint pop, and then the arm slackened uselessly, even as I felt my own healing bones protested the movement – I ignored it.

Jimmy shrieked, his legs kicking out aimlessly, as he searched for some way to get free of me. Relaxing the grip of my hands slightly, I gave him one last chance to answer my questions.

"Tell me why you're here - on this island?"

He bucked. I tightened my grip when he refused to answer. "TELL ME!"

"Go fuck yourse'f," he snorted making blood spray out of his nose. "I'd soon'r die 'fore I tell _you_ an'thin'," he added nasally. "You ruin'd ev'rythin'" he slurred miserably.

Emmett shrugged philosophically. "Well, okay then!" he boomed happily. "Works for me."

I chuckled. "Fine. If that's the way you want it. It doesn't really matter whether you tell me, or Larry does. I take it you've chosen the painful option, rather than the quick one? So be it. You're like a bad dream, Jimmy, and it's time for me to wake up and end it."

He laughed insanely, struggling futilely against me as his body weakened. "My Vivi, she's your worst nightmare. She'll 'venge my death, ya know" he gasped out. "When she ge's back, she'll hunt you down."

"At least he _knows_ he's gonna die," quipped Emmett, as he rolled the grip of the knuckle-duster between his fingers.

I sneered at Jimmy's threat as I spoke in his ear. "Let her bring it on, Jimmy. I'll shred her like my big brother here is about to shred you, and she'll _never _find your body. Oh, and by the way you miserable excuse for a human being, I'm _not_ a soldier."

I saw him squinting in confusion at the sleeve of my digital uniform under the light of the moon.

"I'm a US Navy Officer, you miserable son of bitch! You picked the wrong guy to piss off when you attacked my boat, my family _and_ my wife. Prepare to pay, Jimmy," I promised him.

I let him go, shoving him away roughly.

Emmett and I circled him as he slowly backed away from us. He stared at us, his bravado less obvious with two useless arms and a fatal wound that was slowly killing him. His eyes darted around, looking for a weapon. He focused on the Hawaiian sword I'd used to skewer him, as well as the assault weapon laying abandoned where he'd dropped it.

Stalking away, I kicked the rifle away with my foot. A bullet in the brain was too easy for that prick. I leaned down to pick up the Hawaiian sword and hurled it into the jungle. It struck a tree, the point embedding in the trunk, making the sword quiver as its movement was abruptly halted. I had a different death in mind for Jimmy.

I nodded to the weapon Emmett played with. "Do you know what that is, Jimmy?"

He swallowed, but his eyelids flickered in recognition.

I smirked. "Hmmm, yes. You've seen one before, haven't you? Probably used it on more than one occasion. This is a very special kind of knuckle-duster, Jimmy," I said as I circled around him slowly.

I looked quickly over to the others. My breath hitched joyfully, when I saw Bella was awake and sitting up against Jasper's chest. A tourniquet and a white bandage tightly circled the upper thigh of her right leg, slowing the hemorrhage. Jasper gave me the 'wind-it-up' gesture as he rolled his arm in the air. I nodded in agreement, returning my attention to Jimmy. It was time to finish this.

"It's Hawaiian," I told Jimmy, "it's full of sharks teeth, just like the sword I used on you before."

His eyes widened and I smirked as I continued to terrify him.

"We tested it out on a dead iguana. You would have been impressed with its fileting quality. I know I was," I taunted.

Giving him no further chance to react, I nodded at Emmett who ran at Jimmy, herding him towards me. He whimpered, as he staggered away, holding the gaping wound in his side with his shattered hand.

He started begging and crying. "N-no, p-please d-don't k-kill me. We'll leave-"

Emmett silenced him decisively.

I watched dispassionately as my brother slashed the teeth of the weapon diagonally across Jimmy's back, from his shoulder to his hip, exposing his spine – exactly what Emmett hoped for. The flesh opened up like a popped zipper.

Jimmy was so traumatized by the injury, he was unable to vocalize as he fell face-down on the ground in front of me. Leaning down, I hauled him to his knees. Emmett stepped around in front of him to hold his shoulders, keeping him upright, as I gripped the sides of his skull with my hands.

"Look at me, Jimmy," I ordered softly, as I gently tilted his head back so he could see me standing behind him. "Say hello to your maker. I'm sure Satan will be happy to see you."

He gasped one last horrified sob.

In a move so fast I didn't know I had it in me, I rotated his head, twisting his neck past the point of no return until the vertebrae shattered and his head ricochet around with a crack like the snap of elastic. I let him go, as did Emmett. We watched as his lifeless body swayed, then toppled to the ground, the bones of his broken neck bulging ghoulishly.

"One down, two to go," quipped Emmett.

I wiped my bloody hands on my shirt as I nodded. "Burn the body."

Emmett grunted, picking up Jimmy by one ankle and dragging his body over to our old campfire, leaving a thick trail of blood behind him. I watched with morbid curiosity as he took an alcohol flask from his hip pocket. He uncapped it and dribbled the contents carelessly over the body as he walked up one side and down the other.

I sniffed at the air. It smelled like diesel.

I didn't often see Emmett smoke, but I did now as he slipped a cigar from his shirt pocket and a packet of matches. He lit it, puffing strongly and blowing a dark stream of blue smoke over the body. He stared at the burning match with a strange kind of detachment 'til it was almost extinguished, then he threw it onto the body.

Jimmy ignited like brandy over Christmas pudding.

I wrinkled my nose. Unfortunately, he didn't smell like it.

I left Emmett still puffing, as he idly tossed kindling onto the body to keep the fire going.

I shook my head and chuckled as I jogged over to Bella. Dad stood up to welcome me back. I thought helooked uneasy about what he'd witnessed, but I also knew he'd forgive me. I only hoped I could live with what I'd been reduced to.

I'd tortured and killed a man, and I didn't regret it.

The game wasn't over, not by a long shot. We still had Larry to consider and Vivi was an unknown quantity. _Where the fuck was she?_

Of another thing, I was absolutely certain – don't _ever_ fuck with the Cullen's.

If you do, you'll regret it.

Just ask Jimmy.

…

A/N: 'Arsehole' is Australian slang for the American 'asshole'. Also, the word 'cunt' as reprehensible as it is, is often used in Australia to abuse people of both genders, whereas in other countries it may be used exclusively in reference to women.

Show me the love, people, with your reviews. You guys rock!

You'll get the rest on Saturday or Sunday.

Photos for the chapter are on my blog and the link is: jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com

I've included a photo of a gun firing and a bullet wound, but the wound is a prop, so don't feel too squeamish.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thank you to all readers who left a review to the last three chapters – I've sent answers to all of them. To everyone leaving a guest review or who has private messaging turned off disallowing a response to your messages (you'll know who you are if you never get a response from me), thank you for your comments and words of encouragement. The response to the last three chapters was fantastic.

**Warning: this chapter contains a brief description of a burning body. I will mark the passage with the words ***start*** and ***end*** if you wish to skip it.** I realize now, I should have done something similar in the previous chapter. If the content of chapter 28 bothered anyone, I'm sorry – no one has said anything, but anyway, I will go back and add a similar disclaimer, as well as content marks in the chapter.

…

From Chapter 28

_I shook my head and chuckled as I jogged over to Bella. Dad stood up to welcome me back. I thought he looked uneasy about what he'd witnessed, but I also knew he'd forgive me. I only hoped I could live with what I'd been reduced to._

_I'd tortured and killed a man, and I didn't regret it._

_The game wasn't over, not by a long shot. We still had Larry to consider and Vivi was an unknown quantity. Where the fuck was she?_

_Of another thing, I was absolutely certain – don't ever fuck with the Cullen's._

_If you do, you'll regret it._

_Just ask Jimmy._

…

Chapter 29 – Unknown

I exchanged fleeting glances with Dad. His eyelids flickered as they darted quickly to the scene of Jimmy's death, and then to his funeral pyre, which Emmett was supervising with quiet reflection. Dad breathed in deeply and blew it out slowly. I knew he found what I'd done – what Emmett had done – disturbing on so many levels. Jimmy's death had been a necessity; our torture of him however, was optional.

Pushing it to the back of my mind, I dropped to my knees on the ground beside Bella, reaching out with my hands to embrace her.

She drew back with a gasp when confronted with my bloody hands.

"Edward!"

I pulled back, hiding my hands behind me. They suddenly began to tremble in reaction.

"Edward, are you injured?" she asked me, her voice frightened.

My eyes widened. She thought the blood was mine?

"No, Bella, I'm fine. I'm more concerned about you," I rasped tearily. Now that the crisis was over, I allowed the firm rein on my emotions to weaken.

She smiled imperceptible, as she tried to reassure me. "Carlisle says I'm gonna be fine," she told me, as she adjusted her seat against Jasper. The pain of moving juddered through her, sending her complexion white with shock. A blood pressure cuff circled her right upper arm, and Dad had started an IV of fluids and painkillers in the back of her left hand. The bag was sitting on her shoulder, dripping its precious contents into her system. I looked down at the blood soaked bandage around her upper thigh and the smaller bandage at her temple.

Was she hit in the head by another bullet – I only heard one shot fired? My anxiety ratcheted higher again as my eyes flashed to my father for answers.

"Dad?" I asked fearfully.

He squatted down beside us. "I think she'll be fine, Edward, but I need to remove the bullet. From the amount of bleeding, I suspect it nicked a vein in her leg – I need to repair it."

"But she'll be okay?" I asked for reassurance.

He nodded. "Yes, but we need to get back to camp as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more blood she loses and the greater the chance of complications or infection."

"What about her head?" I asked worriedly.

Dad began packing up his medical bag. "She hit it on a rock when she fell. She has a mild contusion on her temple and a concussion. It's what kept her unconscious for so long."

I breathed easier that the bullet hadn't caused any major organ damage.

Emmett came running over, a pervading smell of smokey sweetness surrounding him. He squatted down beside Rosalie who'd maintained an unnatural silence; so quiet in fact that I'd failed to notice her. Emmett had rinsed the blood from his hands – probably in the creek – and had removed his bloodstained shirt before returning.

Dammit, I should have thought of that before approaching Bella. Shit, shit, shit!

I acknowledged Rosalie now, thanking her for her care of Bella even while recovering from her own awful ordeal.

"Thank you, Rosalie, for taking care of Bella." She nodded. "Are you okay?" I asked her gently.

She raised teary eyes to my face. "No," she responded honestly, "but I will be." She leaned in against her husbands t-shirt clad chest.

His massive arms embraced her lovingly the way I wanted to comfort Bella. I didn't see any drops of Jimmy's blood, unlike my own digital jacket which was covered. I felt nausea roll through my stomach. Gulping it back, my lips thinned angrily, as I recalled Bella's reckless behavior.

She eyed me warily as she cringed backward from my livid expression. I ignored her reaction – it was important I say this.

"Bella, don't you _ever_ do anything like this again. You could have been killed and so could have Rosalie. I thought I made myself clear when I told you _not _to interact with the pirates on your own."

"Yes, but-"

"No, buts!" I roared. "You should have gone home for help, not gone off on your own," I berated. "You're both very lucky we were able to figure out what Jimmy was up to," I said as I looked from her to Rosalie.

Bella sniffled as tears dribbled from her eyes.

"I-I'm s-sorry, Edward," she said, wiping her cheeks with quivering fingers. "J-Jimmy said he'd kill Rose and the baby if I d-didn't play his game, or if I c-came with reinforcements. I couldn't let that happen. E-Emmett would never have recovered," she said sadly, "none of us would have."

My eyes softened as I recognized the truth of her statement. I reached down and squeezed the jean-clad ankle of her uninjured leg – I didn't want Jimmy's tainted blood to transfer to her skin.

Despite the empathy I felt for her dilemma, I also knew that her singular intervention and disregard for own safety could have resulted in her death. As it was she was seriously injured.

I lifted implacable eyes to her face and spoke succinctly. "I understand the quandary you were in, Bella, but when I give a direct order," I looked at her sternly, "I expect it to be followed – without question."

Her tears abruptly halted, as she sat up a little straighter and narrowed her eyes, grunting painfully at the movement.

She gasped out, "Edward, don't you dare-"

I cut her off. "Oh, I dare alright, _Your Highness_."

Her eyes glinted dangerously.

"This is not a democracy when it comes to personal safety, especially against the enemy. When I give an order about military tactics or safety, it's to be followed absolutely – no deviation or second guessing."

My family regarded me silently. Bella looked down at her hands clutched tightly in her lap.

"Am I clear?" I added, staring at her and them.

Silence. Bella nodded tensely.

I exhaled and stood up. "Good."

"Jasper, Emmett, can you retrieve Larry – we'll be taking him back to camp with us."

Rose and Bella darted their startled, fearful eyes to me.

"Why?" asked Rosalie shrilly.

The same question was reflected in Bella's eyes as I answered.

"I want to interrogate him, and it will take longer than the time we have available to us. We need to get both you and Bella back to camp as soon as possible," I explained.

Dad fixed the stethoscope in his ears and pumped the BP cuff to take Bella's pressure. He let the air hiss out slowly. His mouth tightened imperceptibly as he noted the reading.

Removing the buds from his ears he said, "I want you to remain still and calm, Bella, your blood pressure is a little erratic. Stress isn't good for you at the moment," he said pointedly, looking at me, "it's not good for Rose either. Rose, I want to take your pressure, as well," he stated as he removed the cuff and moved around Bella to attend to Rosalie.

I accepted Dad's subtle reprimand, vowing to hold over any further discussion until the girls were both recovered.

Jasper crawled out from behind Bella, laying her head down on his rolled up hiking jacket and handed the IV bag to Dad. He stood up, preparing to retrieve Larry.

"We need to get Mom and Alice as well," Jasper warned me. "I already explained to Dad that I sent them home, and told them to hide in the fern cave until one of us came for them. They're probably worried sick by now," he remarked worriedly. "I won't be happy either, 'til I know they're safe and back in camp. We still don't know where Vivi is."

"She's not here," I informed him. "Jimmy told us."

Jasper looked skeptical. "He actually said that?"

I shook my head. "No, but he said, _'when she gets back'_, which implies she's not on the island at the moment. Larry will know more about her whereabouts, and why they were here in the first place when we interrogate him."

I checked the time on my watch. It was 1800 hours – 6 pm.

"We'll take Jimmy's Zodiac. It's big enough for all of us, and it will be quicker than walking. We can't take Bella and Rosalie up the cliff stairs in their condition in any case. Dad will you stay here with Rose and Bella. I need to retrieve the weapons." I looked down at my filthy clothes and crimson stained skin. "And, I need to clean up a little," I explained softly.

"Yes of course, Edward, but hurry please, all of you. How long will it take to return to camp in the motor boat?"

"About an hour," Jasper and I answered together.

"Let's get moving," I ordered. Jasper and Emmett left together, jogging past the thick smoke of Jimmy's burning body and into the jungle for Larry.

I turned to Bella, my expression softening as I looked upon her with aching love permeating my entire body. I leaned toward her.

"Bella?" I whispered.

"Yes?" she sniffled as she avoided my eyes. My head followed hers as it rolled to the side so she wouldn't have to look at me.

"Bella, I love you," I told her softly.

She nodded her head imperceptibly. "I love you too," she sniffle. She struggled to sit up, tucking her tangle hair behind one ear. "Edward, help me up – please?" she begged desperately.

Instead, I pushed her down gently, only touching her shoulders through the thin cloth of her t-shirt. I leaned over and gently kissed her.

"Lay down, Bella – please? We can talk later," I promised.

She huffed, but retreated, lying down again. Her eyes closed with pain and exhaustion.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," I told her, as I climbed to my feet.

I took off to retrieve the weapons, reaching up, to pull the Hawaiian sword from the tree I'd thrown it into. I tried to ignore the evidence of Jimmy that remained on the blade as I approached the scene of his death. The skin on my hands had stiffened with Jimmy's blood, as I leaned down to pick up the knuckle-duster, and then the assault rifle. Handling them carefully, I trotted slowly over to his burning body.

*****Start*****

It was a macabre sight, the image and smell of a burning human body. It was still recognizable as human, even blackened and charred as it was, while the flesh burned slowly. His limbs and torso contorted grotesquely in the heat of the fire as the bodily fluids boiled and the flesh contracted. A sickening, sweet smell saturated the air around him.

*****End*****

My stomach rolled with nausea. Unable to control the sensation, I staggered away, leaning over as I vomited. Racking sobs released from deep inside me. The revulsion I now felt for what I had done, I would have to find a way to live with. My horror grappled with the relief I felt that Bella was safe, and Jimmy no longer a threat to our existence.

I stiffened when a caring hand touched my shoulder gently.

"Edward?" said Dad softly.

I couldn't speak as I bent over. I tried to shrug away his sympathy, but he wouldn't let me.

"Edward, I won't tell you that I condone what you did, but I understand it," he told me quietly. "Had it been your mother who Jimmy shot or tormented like he did Rosalie … I might have reacted similarly," he confessed, as he squeezed my shoulder.

Reaching down, he gently removed the Hawaiian weapons from my grasp. "I'll take care of these, son. Why don't you remove your shirt and clean up before we go home. You might feel better about touching Bella." I'm not surprised he'd noticed my reluctance to touch her.

I straightened up, lifting my arm so I could wipe my mouth against my shoulder. My forehead furrowed in pain, as my head pounded with a combination of reaction and tension. I stiffened and faced my father, prepared to face the music.

"Do … do I disgust you, Dad? Can you ever look at me again without remembering the way I tort...?" I trailed off, dreading his answer.

Dad looked into my eyes without flinching. "No, Edward, you don't disgust you. None of us will ever forget what took place here today. Jimmy had to die – you should not regret that," he absolved.

I shifted my feet nervously. "I wasn't talking about that," I said meekly.

Dad nodded. "I know, Edward. All we can do is acknowledge all of our roles and learn to live with it"

I blinked at my father. "What role did you play, Dad, other than as protector and doctor? You have _nothing_ to feel guilty about," I argued.

"I didn't stop you," he admitted quietly.

I stared at him. I don't know if he could have.

He sighed. "Look, we'll speak later, Edward, you me and your brothers. Emmett will need to talk about what happened as well. He's stoic at the moment, but I know your brother. It's going to hit him when he least expects it."

I wiped my eyes with a part of my sleeve that was relatively free of blood. I sniffed and nodded.

"Go get cleaned up, son, we need to leave and your brothers are returning with Larry," he said, as he gestured with his head in the their direction.

Larry was shuffling along, his hands tied securely behind his back, while Emmett and Jasper directed him. They each had a hand clamped around one of his arms in case he tried to make a run for it. The fishing net that had held him prisoner was once again over Jasper's shoulders.

I'd congratulated Jasper when he told me earlier how he'd restrained Larry. What we'd do with him after the interrogation, I didn't know. After today, I don't think any of us could kill Larry in cold-blood if he didn't threaten us. I rubbed at my pounding forehead. It wasn't a decision that could be made right now, or one I felt I could make on my own, but our options had to be considered – and soon.

Stripping off my filthy shirt, I walked over to the stream to wash up. Dad followed me to clean the weapons. Laying the rifle on the ground, I squatted on the bank to sluice cool, clean water over my skin and Dad crouched beside me to rinse the weapons.

I watched the pink, stained water trickle down toward the ocean. When the rains came, all evidence of what had taken place here would be washed away forever. I looked up and noticed Larry looking toward the fire. His eyes widened when he realized what, and who it was that was burning.

He turned terrified eyes toward me.

"Hey, Mr. Red, you ain't gunna kill me are ya?" he gasped nervously. "I swear, I didn't know what Jimmy was up to. He jus' told me to guard the village. I swear Mr. Red," he babbled desperately, as he passed by between my brothers.

Jasper told him to be quiet. "Just keep moving, Larry," he ordered. "You won't be dying … _today_," he added pointedly.

Larry quivered, but looked relieved when assured of his continuing survival. He missed the tacked on proviso of 'today'. He really was a stupid bastard I thought, as I wondered what his IQ was. It wasn't anywhere in the triple digits, of that I was certain, but I truly believed he wasn't 'normal' either.

Dad eyed Larry curiously. "He's not right," Dad commented quietly, as he stood up with the clean weapons in his hand.

I stood up beside him, balling up my filthy digital shirt. My under t-shirt, like Emmett's, remained relatively clean and free of bodily fluids.

I sighed. "I know. I don't know how much we can hold him accountable for. He's like a dumb sheep following blindly while someone else makes all the decisions." I reached down and picked up the assault rifle.

"He's a drone," Dad said.

I eyed him with surprise. His observation was very perceptible.

…

I ran down to the rubber Zodiac with the weapons, and placed them in the bottom of the boat. I'd wrapped the Hawaiian ones in my shirt and shoved them in my bag so the teeth wouldn't rip a hole in the rubber. Looking around hurriedly, I didn't see any sign of MORTE or Vivi. Running back to the village, I leaned down to pick up Bella who was dozing. She moaned as I slipped my arm below her injured thigh, but she didn't waken. Dad positioned the IV bag, still delivering vital fluids, over her shoulder.

"The drugs are making her sleep," he told me.

I nodded in understanding. It was probably a good thing. The boat ride home would be rough, despite the calm seas, as we pushed the outboard motor to its limits. Emmett leaned down to help Rose to her feet, picking her up when she swayed tiredly. Jasper herded Larry toward the beach, tied up, but quiet. Dad brought up the rear with his medical bag.

None of us looked back as we departed.

Stepping into the boat with Bella, I sat down and cradled her in my arms protectively. Emmett helped Rose in, then stood back to push the boat the few meters down the sand and into the water. Dad climbed in with Emmett – Dad between the girls so he could treat them – while Emmett sat at the front of the boat where he could guard Larry. He was sitting in the bottom of the boat where Jasper had forced him. Emmett grinned evilly at Larry and cracked his knuckles, simply because he knew he could scare him.

Larry whimpered.

Jasper dropped the outboard motor into the water and fired it. It started on the first depression of the starter button, roaring loudly, then quietening as Jasper adjusted the choke and throttle. Taking hold of the rudder, he sat down and directed the boat away from the beach and out into the shallows.

…

Jasper steered the Zodiac into shore, bringing the boat onto the sand next to Victory and cut the motor. He and Emmett jumped out and pulled the boat up onto the sand. I stepped carefully out with Bella still asleep in my arms and Dad followed me, leaving Emmett to bring up the rear carrying Rosalie, while Jasper lead a strangely cooperative Larry.

When we walked into camp it was dark and devoid of life apart from the animals. They clucked, oinked and bleated in excitement as they begged for their dinner. They wouldn't get fed 'til the morning.

Dad opened the front door and turned on a lamp in the entry. "Take Bella and Rose into my office," he directed urgently, as we followed him in.

I nodded, turning quickly to speak to Jasper who stood on the verandah with Larry.

"Jazz, lock Larry in the old sleeping hut and barricade the door and the windows. Leave him tied up for the moment."

"Okay, but then I have to get Mom and Alice," he replied, turning around to lead Larry away.

Dad countermanded my instruction. "Actually, Jasper, I need you to help me with Bella's surgery. Edward can go and get them."

"I can help you, Dad," I said. I wanted to be with Bella.

"No, Edward, it'll be better if Jasper helps me."

I hesitated, torn between Bella and my mother. It seemed to be my lesson for today – making difficult choices.

"Go on, go get your Mom and Alice," Dad encouraged. "Bring them home and then get cleaned up. You can see Bella when the surgery is over. It's going to be a long night," he added tiredly.

I agreed reluctantly and walked into Dad's office with my precious cargo. I knew why Dad didn't want me to assist with the surgery – I was too close – I'd be a hindrance if something went wrong. I didn't like it, but I understood it.

I laid Bella onto the table, hooking her nearly empty IV bag on the stand at the head of the bed. Emmett eased Rosalie into a seat beside Dad's desk and waited. Kissing Bella, I left the room to find my mother.

…

Carlisle's POV

Washing my hands, I prepared to quickly examine Rosalie so I could concentrate on Bella without worry. Pulling on a pair of gloves, I took Rose's pulse, blood pressure and temperature. Her BP was a little high, but that was to be expected. A good night's sleep would hopefully take care of it.

"Rose, do you have any cramping or bleeding?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "No. I'm a little hungry, sore and tired, but I think my baby's okay," she sniffled. "He threatened to hurt him, but he didn't," she told us.

Emmett cracked his knuckles at Rose's mention of Jimmy. I really had to convince him to stop that, I thought distractedly. It might not cause arthritis, but it did lead to soft tissue damage, swelling and reduced hand strength in later life.

He did it again. I sighed.

"Alright. Rose, I want you to take a warm shower – not a hot one," I instructed, "and drink another liter of water."

She nodded docilely. "Yes, Carlisle."

"Emmett, when she's cleaned up, rub this salve on her rope burns and the bruise on her leg where Jimmy kicked her."

He took the tube from me. "Anything else, Dad?"

"Yes, after that, I want Rose to eat something light and then go to bed. Try to sleep," I told her, as I stripped the gloves from my hands, and prepared to remove the bullet from Bella.

Jasper came in from locking Larry up, as Emmett carried Rose from the room.

"Help me undress Bella," I said, as I handed him a pair of scissors to cut the clothes from her body. I removed the bandage and tourniquet from her leg. The blood in the wound had clotted since the shooting. I watched and waited a few seconds to see if it would hold.

It did.

Throwing the destroyed clothes into a basket, we left Bella clad only in her bra and panties. Shaking out a sheet, I laid it over her, leaving her thigh exposed to the cool night air. I handed Jasper a gown and a cap, identical to my own set.

"Change out of those soiled clothes and scrub in, Jasper, we need to get started."

…

The surgery took two hours. As I suspected, the bullet had nicked a vein in her leg, but it hadn't severed it. I removed the bullet and repaired the damage to the blood vessel, and the surrounding tissue.

She was very lucky – another inch or so and it would have struck the femoral artery – an injury she would not have survived no matter how gifted my skill, or how compelling my devotion. She'd lost a lot of blood, but nothing life threatening. With proper rest and nutrition, she would recover fully by Christmas.

I removed my cap and gown and threw them in the basket with Bella's outer clothes. Jasper did the same. We stood around in our shorts, socks and t-shirts.

"Is your brother back with Esme and Alice?" I asked Jasper, as I adjusted Bella's IV and checked her vital signs. She was breathing easily and would wake up within the hour. I was overwhelmingly relieved.

"Yes. Dad, watching you with the surgery – helping you – that was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced," he told me. He wore an expression of sheer awe and adulation.

I smiled at my second-eldest son. "Thank you, Jasper. It's not for everyone, but I love it – it's very rewarding when I can save a life."

Jasper raked has hands through his hair. "I couldn't do it, Dad."

"You just did, Jasper," I corrected him.

He blinked, looking shocked when he acknowledged the accuracy of my statement.

"Send Esme and Edward in, will you?" I asked him, as he opened the door.

…

Esme's POV

It got cold in the fern cave as darkness fell. Alice and I had returned from the west just after 5 pm, bypassing the camp as Jasper told us. We huddled together in the cave, whispering quietly for two hours, worrying and wondering as the hours passed without any news.

"What time is it?" whispered Alice as she shivered.

I felt for the tiny button on my watch that would light up the face of my timepiece and pushed it. We'd been turning the flashlight on and off intermittently to preserve the batteries.

"It's about twenty past seven," I whispered back, pulling Alice into me and rubbing her thin arms, as I tried to create some warming friction.

"Do you think they're okay?" she asked a few minutes later. I'd lost count of the number of times she'd asked me.

"I don't know, Alice." Her endless questions for the last two hours were getting on my nerves. She knew as much as I did. Nothing.

"We should never have left," Alice stated shrilly. "We should have turned around and followed Jasper!"

"Shssh," I admonished her. "Alice, Jasper will come for us or he'll send one of the others. And we left, because it was too dangerous to stay – you know that!"

She pouted and shrugged. "Yeah, maybe, but at least we'd know what was going on instead of squatting here wondering," she complained. "Can we have the light on, Esme?"

I sighed and rubbed my eyes tiredly, switching the flashlight on. I wondered when her next dose of kava was due. I thought it might calm her down a little. We sat silently for five minutes in the dim glow of the flashlight, when I heard the sounds of a distant, low hum.

"Can you hear that?" I asked Alice.

She looked around. "Hear what?"

"Listen. That low hum, can you hear that?"

She listened, cocking her head to one side. "It sounds like a motor boat," she whispered. "Do you think it's the pirates?" she shrieked, clearly frightened.

She shuddered, sinking back against the wall of the fern cave, trying to disappear. She sat with the flashlight clamped between her raised knees, allowing the light to shine over her pale face. Her eyes were wide and terrified.

"I'm going to check, Alice. Stay here," I told her. I needed to get her out of this cave before she went bat-shit crazy – no pun intended – and took me with her.

She barely reacted to my words. She simply sat there, rocking and humming.

Creeping along the narrow tunnel, I emerged into the darkness of night lit by a bright full moon. The sound was louder now that I was outside and definitely a motor. I waffled with indecision. Do I go in the direction of camp and perhaps get captured by the pirates, or do I head through the jungle to the far side of the beach for a little spying?

I decided on the jungle. Bella and I had come through this way on previous occasions when we'd foraged for food along the beach. We treated it as a shortcut taking us around in a circle rather than always backtracking. We'd worn a kind of path with our frequent wanderings, allowing me to run quickly and noiselessly to the beach.

The sound of the motor was louder now – it was definitely heading into the beach. I was equal parts terrified and excited as I crept from the bushes and onto the sand. I could see a dark boat with six, no seven (seven!) people sitting in it.

I couldn't see their faces, but I knew there was only three pirates, so I figured it had to be my family and maybe one of them. Or, it could be three pirates and four of my family. I chewed on my lip worriedly. I prayed it was the former and not the latter theory.

The boat passed directly through the glow of the large moon as it shone brightly on the water. I tingled with excitement, then bounced happily when the light reflected off a bright blonde head.

It was Carlisle, I was sure of it.

I watched as they landed the boat, and two men got out – one large and one smaller. I knew it was my family when I saw a man stand up carrying a body. Her long dark hair trailed over his arm in a tangled curtain.

I gasped as tears flooded my eyes. _Oh, my god! Is that Bella?_

The larger man leaned into the boat, emerging holding another body – this one with long blonde hair. My hands flew up to my mouth as I gasped in horror. _Oh, no. Not Rosalie!_

I began to run toward them, when I remembered Alice in the fern cave of the lava tube. I changed directions running as fast as I could back to the cave, my legs and arms pumping frantically. All I wanted to do was go home and see to my husband and children.

Scrambling through the cave, I began calling for Alice. "Alice! Alice! It's them, it's the family."

There was no response, but I could see the glow of the flashlight ahead, so I knew she was still in here. She wouldn't have left without it, not as scared as she was at the moment.

Emerging into the cave, I stood up. Alice was curled up on the floor in the fetal position as silent as a sleeping baby – except her eyes were open.

_Oh, for fucks sake!_

I groaned. Alice was better since she'd started taking the kava, but she was no where near as normal as she used to be while on medication. I needed to get her home and dose her up with kava before she fell apart completely.

Reaching down, I shook her shoulder. "Alice!" I called loudly. She blinked. "Alice!" I tried again, shaking her harder. "Alice, they're back. We can go home, okay? Jasper's home!"

"They're home?" she whispered disbelievingly.

"Yes. Get up, we're going to meet them."

I took the flashlight from her and took hold of her hands to pull her to her feet. I kept one of her small cold hands in mine as I tugged her to the opening.

"Come on," I said, "Out you go. I'm right behind you with the flashlight," I told her reassuringly.

She nodded. "Okay. Um, okay, home. Let's go home."

...

We ran along the pathway toward camp, the flashlight and the moon glow guiding us. I heard the sound of pounding feet coming toward us. I assumed it was one of my children or my husband. I was right. I exhaled sharply, as I saw Edward's bright, bronze colored head appear from around a bend in the pathway. But, Alice hadn't been paying attention. She startled uncontrollably, as Edward skidded to a stop in front of us, and screamed like a manic banshee.

Edward's hand flew to his ears. "Jesus Christ, woman!" he roared. "Take it down a note, will you?"

"Alice!" I shook her. "Alice, it's Edward. For gods sake, stop screaming!" I yelled at her, exhausting my last nerve.

She stopped and started crying, garbling out an apology. "Oh, I',m s-sorry, Edward. My nerves are shot to pieces," she said.

Her nerves are shot. I scoffed inwardly as I rolled my eyes at Edward.

"It's okay," he said impatiently, as he led us hurriedly home. "Why are you out here?" he asked, with a set mouth. "Jasper told me that he told you to stay at the fern cave until someone came for you."

"We heard the boat," I explained. I didn't fail to notice his irritation, I just chose to ignore it.

"I ran down to the beach along the shortcut. When I was sure it was you, I went back for Alice."

"We'll talk about it later," he responded in a short tone.

My brow arched, though he didn't see it.

"Edward, tell us, are Bella and Rose okay? Are they alive? And what news do you have of the pirates?"

He turned his head to eye me cautiously as we trotted along.

"Tell me, Edward!" I insisted.

He sighed. "Rose and Bella are alive. Rose was tormented by Jimmy, but she's okay, just tired and frightened. But, Jimmy shot Bella," he intoned quietly.

I gasped and stopped dead on the pathway. Alice ran into the back of me – not unexpected seeing as I still had hold of her hand.

"Oh, my god! Is she (I gulped) is she okay?"

He huffed and pinched the bridge of his nose as though he had a headache. "Yeah, Mom, Dad says she'll be okay. He's operating at the moment to remove the bullet from her leg. Jasper's helping him."

Alice looked up at the mention of her husband.

"Is … is he okay?" she asked timidly.

"Yes."

"Oh, thank god," she cried.

Edward gestured to us to keep moving. "I'll explain more as we walk."

He stepped to the other side of Alice and took her free hand in his. The added security seemed to help her relax, and she listened attentively as Edward spoke.

"Jimmy is dead. I killed him," he explained distantly.

I glanced at his face across Alice. It was aloof and unemotional as he talked about the pirates.

"We brought Larry back with us."

Alice gasped.

"We need information," he continued, ignoring Alice's reaction.

"Where is Larry now?" I inquired breathlessly. I hoped he wasn't in the house with my family.

"He's locked up in the old sleeping hut. His hands are tied and the doors and windows are barricaded. He's not going anywhere unless we let him," Edward stated coldly.

I still didn't like it.

The house came into view and I pushed aside my misgivings.

I'd think about them later.

…

Edward's POV

I paced outside Dad's office and makeshift operating room for nearly two hours, waiting and worrying about Bella.

After I'd intercepted Mom and Alice returning home alone (against orders, I might add), Mom sent Alice upstairs for a warming shower and then went to check on Rosalie. I went with her, because I wanted to speak with Emmett.

Rose had been asleep, but Mom sat with her on the side of Rose and Emmett's bed and stroked her hand and face lovingly. I gestured for Emmett to follow me into the hallway. We walked away to the upstairs open lounge area to talk quietly.

"How's the surgery going?" I asked Emmett, as we sat opposite each other on two bamboo armchairs.

He leaned forward, hanging his arms between his knees and bobbed his head soothingly.

"It's going good, I think. Jasper popped his head out about ten minutes ago and said it was going well. Dad had removed the bullet and he was repairing the damaging."

I breathed a sigh of relief, mirroring his posture. "And, Rose?"

Emmett tensed imperceptibly. "She'll be okay. She's not losing the baby or anything."

I grinned and thumped his knee in a congratulatory gesture. "That's great, Emmett."

"She had a nightmare," he told me quietly.

"Oh, well that's to be expected," I replied ineptly.

Emmett clutched his lengthening curls in his fists. He needed a haircut, I thought incongruously. Sometimes the strangest things occur in my mind, completely out of context to the current topic or situation.

"Yeah, I know," he huffed out. "But she shouldn't be having nightmares, Edward, she _should be_ enjoying her pregnancy. If that prick had just left us alone, none of this would have happened. And Rose, she'd be busy bossing me around as usual. Instead, she's all timid and meek and scared of her own shadow. It's not normal," he spoke softly. "It's not right."

I didn't know how to respond to him. Anything I might say would be useless and trite. I tried anyway.

"It will get better, Emmett, for all of us. Alice is spaced out as well, and I dread how Bella will react when this hits her."

Emmett breathed deeply, and leaned back in the armchair. He rested his head against the top of the cushion. I let him discharge his feelings in silence for a moment. He spoke quietly at last, and inquired about Mom.

"She seems fine," I told him. "Worried about Rose and Bella of course, and Alice is adding to her worries."

"Alice? What's wrong with her?"

"She's just a bit loopy at the moment. Mom sent her for a shower while she sits with Rose, but I think she needs a dose of kava."

"It'll have to wait. Dad keeps it in his office," Emmett said.

"Yeah, I know. In the meantime, we'll pour moringa tea down her and give her something to eat. Low blood sugar probably isn't helping her erratic behavior," I said dryly.

Emmett snorted.

After a long moment, I broached what I wanted to talk about. "Ahm, Emmett, we need to discuss what happened; talk about what we both did." I said quietly.

He reared to his feet and began to pace furiously. "What's there to talk about, Edward? The bastard deserved everything we dished out, and more!"

I didn't dispute his words, even as I wanted to.

Emmett stopped his paced to glare at me.

"I don't regret it, Edward, none of it. Don't ask me to!" he stated vehemently.

He stalked from the lounge without a backward glance. I heard the door of his bedroom, close decisively behind him.

I didn't follow.

…

When the door to Dad's office opened, Jasper was standing before me in his shorts, socks and t-shirt. I peeked around him. Dad was dressed similarly as he adjusted Bella's IV. She was draped in a sheet and two thick blankets. Her face was pale as she slept off the anesthetic.

"She's fine, Edward," Jasper told me. "Go on in. I was just coming to get you."

I shook my brothers hand. "Thanks Jazz. Alice is in the living room with Mom waiting for news. Emmett is upstairs with Rosalie."

"Okay, thanks. What about Larry?"

"Not a peep out of him since I locked him up. He told me that he doesn't know where Vivi is. Jimmy sent her to Hawaii in MORTE with the ships crew, but that's all he knows."

"They have a crew?"

I nodded. "Yeah, another three men, but they always stay on board with the ship. He doesn't know much about them. They weren't allowed to talk to him."

"How'd you get all that out of him?" Jasper asked me in astonishment.

"I threw him a bone," I said, smirking.

Huh, said Jasper's expression.

"I gave him a cold turkey wing and some of the stale bread rolls. He was so grateful, I couldn't shut him up, once I started asking him questions. I checked on him earlier. He's sitting in a corner of the hut, sleeping."

Jasper quirked a brow. "That's a bit strange, isn't it?"

"He _is_ strange," I retorted. "Dad thinks he's not right and I agree with him. His intelligence is … stunted," I said at last.

"Yeah, I know," Jasper said, scratching at his chest. "He's not the brightest bulb in the box."

I scoffed. That was an understatement.

"Go see Alice and get cleaned up," I suggested. "We still need to interrogate Larry, but it can wait until morning."

He left and I stood in the open doorway gazing at my sleeping Bella, my beautiful Princess Manulani. I'd almost lost her. The breath hitched in my chest as it hit me.

"Come on in, Edward," welcomed Dad. "The surgery went well and she'll be waking up soon, though she'll be fairly out of it for a while. I've got her doped up with morphine in the drip."

Pulling up a seat, I sat down beside the bed and reached out to gently hold the hand with the IV line in it. I traced the blue veins I could see below her translucent skin, then bent down to kiss her hand tenderly.

"Is she really okay, Dad?" I rasped tearfully.

He squeezed my shoulder. "Yes, she'll be fine. She'll need a lot of rest for a few weeks and a deal of tender loving from you," he told me with a crooked smile.

"Thanks, Dad."

"It's what I do, son." He hesitated, then reached over to a tray for a small kidney shaped dish. He handed it to me.

It contained the bullet.

Son of a bitch!

"She was very lucky, Edward. A little more in either direction and it would have hit the femoral artery."

I paled as I looked at the misshapen bullet. She'd be dead now instead of recovering.

"I thought you might want to know that, before you beat yourself up internally about what happened after he shot her."

I swallowed and nodded. I couldn't articulate now if my life depended on it.

"Mmmm," Bella moaned from the bed. Her head rolled to the side and I reached up to stroke her face.

"Bella?" I whispered. "It's me, Edward."

"Mmmm, Edward," she moaned. She smiled a little and fell silent.

I looked at Dad desperately. Had something happened?

"She's asleep," confirmed Dad.

I exhaled sharply in relief.

Dad walked to the open door. "I'm going to see your mother, and then Emmett. I want the two of you to carry Bella upstairs. I wouldn't normally move her this soon after surgery, but I think she'll be more comfortable in her own bed, and closer for me to check on during the night."

"Alright," I whispered.

I sat there for what seemed like hours, but was really only minutes, as I waited for Bella to wake up. I stroked her face and whispered words of love to her.

"Bella, wake up, baby. Open those beautiful brown eyes and look at me," I cajoled her.

Her eyelids flickered. They didn't open.

"I love you, sweetheart. Rose is okay. She's upstairs sleeping," I told her. "Dad says she and the baby are fine."

Her eyelids flickered again.

"Mom and Alice are here. I found them on the trail coming back from the fern cave. Jasper had sent them there, you see, to keep them safe in case Vivi was around."

Her hand squeezed mine reflexively when I mentioned Vivi.

"She's not around, by the way. There's no sign of Vivi."

She seemed to calm, as I continued to talk to her.

"Emmett and I are gonna move you up to our room in a moment. You'll sleep better there. I'm going to hold you in my arms all night, my darling."

Her hand squeezed mine again, as her mouth curved up in a semblance of a smile.

Tears overflowed from my eyes. I gasped and released a racking sob, as I reached up with my free hand to rub at my tearing eyes.

"Did I tell you that I love you, Bella?" I cried.

Her eyes flickered and they slowly opened.

"Edward," she whispered hoarsely, "why are you crying? I'm fine," she croaked.

I couldn't stop as I leaned over to kiss her mouth, her eyes, her nose – all over. Her face was wet with my tears when I pulled back.

"I'm just so relieved that you're okay, darling. The bullet, it was so close to an artery ..." I trailed off.

She blinked at me sleepily. "It's okay, Edward," she slurred.

"No, it's not, Bella, I failed you again. I'm supposed to keep you safe from harm, and despite all my efforts, Jimmy found a way to get to you anyway," I rasped. "He shot you! I'm the one who told you to run, and he shot you ... with my own gun!" I sobbed.

She snuffled, as she struggled to stay awake. "No, no, Edward, you were right before. I didn't listen. My fault, not yours," she mumbled, and then she drifted away to sleep.

…

I hardly slept that night, as I laid in our bed with Bella in my arms. Dad had slipped a pillow under her leg to keep it elevated and more comfortable. The IV bag was attached to a hook, which Emmett had attached to the wall above the bed. It was the last IV bag – there was no more left after this one.

She'd woken a few times during the night. Twice when Dad came to check her vital signs, and once more, to vomit violently in post operative reaction to the anesthetic. Luckily, I had a bucket ready, courtesy of Dad when we'd brought her up to bed. She fell back exhausted after that and slept the rest of the night through without waking.

I however, stayed awake until the sun rose, thinking through my strategy for dealing with Larry. It seemed food worked as a reward for information – like training a dog – I decided it might be best to exploit it.

You catch more flies with honey – I think that's the adage. Well, we'd soon find out.

I climbed from the bed at 0700 – 7 am, pulling the covers over a still sleeping Bella.

It was time to prepare for an interrogation.

…

A/N: Photos for the chapter (nothing explicit) are on my blog and the link is: jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com

I'm going to lighten up over the next chapters, at least until we get past Christmas and New Year in the story. I think the Cullen's, me and you as readers, all deserve a break from the stress of the pirates.

In the Twilight movie (but not the book) Carlisle diagnosed Bella as having a severed femoral artery from the broken glass in her leg, which she stupidly removed hastening the bleeding. My research tells me that had that been true, Bella would likely have bled out within five minutes, and Edward taking blood from her to remove the venom would have hastened her death. In fact, even if they'd let the change continue, she probably would have bled out before the venom had a chance to work – her heart would have stopped from the tremendous blood loss.

Severing a major artery of the body such as the carotid or jugular (both in the neck) femoral (main artery in each leg) or the aorta (primary artery of the body connecting to the heart) is pretty much a death sentence unless you sustain the injury in a hospital or can get there within minutes of the injury occurring. Even then, a ruptured aorta is pretty much unrecoverable, and surviving other arterial ruptures is 50/50. If my information is wrong, please feel free to correct me.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Sorry this is late – the delay was a combination of writers block, real life and feeling a little tired and unwell. This chapter is a bit of a filler following the drama at the fishing village, while paving the way for the next story arc. It's not as complete as I would have wanted, but I thought I would post what I did have, to give you, my faithful readers, something to keep you going.

…

Chapter 30 – Question and Answer

After showering and shaving, I checked once more on a still sleeping Bella, then headed downstairs to see about Larry. Mom was in the kitchen cooking breakfast when I entered the stone-walled room. She immediately abandoned the cooking range to hug me tightly.

"Oh, Edward, I didn't get a chance to speak with you last evening after we returned; are you okay? How's Bella?"

I hugged her back, squeezing tightly, then stood away to look at her with my hands resting on her slim shoulders. She looked tired, her skin tight and slightly gray in appearance. Her eyes were bloodshot as though she'd been crying.

"I'm fine, Mom. Bella's still sleeping. She vomited once during the night, but otherwise Dad says she'll recover – in time. She just needs rest."

She looked relieved, her face relaxing slightly. I sniffed the air, inhaling the acrid smell of something burning.

"Is something burning, Mom?"

Her eyes widened and she spun around. "Shit! The pancakes," she gasped as she ran over to the stove. She flipped the burned discs into the rubbish bin and pour more batter onto the flat griddle.

"Are you okay, Mom? I asked, as I walked over to stand beside her.

She looked at me in surprise. "What makes you ask that, Edward?" She flipped the fresh batch of cakes over. They were golden brown and spongy.

I shrugged. "You just look tired, Mom. Have you been crying?" I asked her, as I traced a gentle finger under her eye.

Her eyelids close for a long moment, then she opened them to look up at me with bright green eyes, an exact replica of my own.

"I'm fine, son. You don't need to worry about me," she said as she flipped the cooked pancakes onto a plate, and poured more batter onto the flat griddle.

"No, perhaps not, Mom, but I do nonetheless," I told her sincerely.

She made a moue with her lips as she bustled over to the fridge for a bowl of fruit and a knife. She immediately began to peel, slice and dice, evading answering my original question. I waited patiently. Eventually, she gave in.

She sighed and put the knife down. "Flip those over, would you, Edward?" she asked, pointing at the cooking cakes. I nodded and did her bidding, flipping them expertly, then returned my attention to my mother.

She was fidgeting with her apron pocket. "I did cry a little, Edward. Everything that happened yesterday – it all just caught up with me, I suppose. Everything was going so well until the pirates interfered. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving; we have this house and everything we need to make a decent life while we wait for rescue, and then Bella and Rosalie – well it was just ..."

I nodded in understanding. "You needed a release?"

"Yes. If anything had happened to those two women and my grandbaby, I don't know what I would have done – what you and Emmett would have done?"

I quickly flipped the pancakes onto the plate with the others, then kissed the top of Mom's head.

"We're all going to be fine, Mom. Jimmy's dead; we have Larry in custody and Vivi's not here at the moment. When she _does_ come back, we'll be prepared for her. Try not to worry, okay? You leave that to me and Jasper."

She huffed and stomped her tiny foot. "But, I do worry, Edward, and you can't expect me not to. I'm a mother, and that's what mothers do – we worry! And nothing you or your father says to me is going to change that."

I chuckled, imagining the struggle my father had in convincing Mom otherwise. "I love you, Mom. What would we do without you?"

She huffed again, then her lips curved up in the semblance of a smile. "Probably make more of a mess of your lives," she said, tongue in cheek. She snapped me on the back of the legs with her dish-towel.

"Ow!" I mock complained and pouted.

"Oh, stop your complaining, you big baby. I didn't hurt you."

I grinned at her goodnaturedly. Her melancholy was clearing – at least for the moment. I knew it would probably return when we questioned Larry, which brought me back to the other reason for my visit to the kitchen.

"Um, Mom, can you make extra food this morning? I want to use breakfast as an incentive when I question Larry," I explained, when she glanced at me questioningly.

Her mouth tightened. "Oh."

"Yeah. Mom, he's not quite right, if you know what I mean. I'm hoping food will make him open up."

She frowned as she poured more batter. "What, you mean he's mentally impaired somehow?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. He doesn't act like a man in his twenty's. Even if he's not all that well educated, his maturity level should be more developed than it is, and it's not. He behaves more like a young teenager."

Mom flipped the cakes. "What does your father say?"

"He agrees that there is something ... different about him."

Mom dropped her spatula onto the bench with a clatter. "Edward, what are we going to do with him? Is he going to be living here – with us?"

I shrugged and sighed. "I don't know, Mom. If he is impaired, how can we hold him responsible for his actions?"

Mom paced the flagstone floor worriedly. "But what are we going to do with him? How can we trust him?"

I exhaled loudly and strode over to the teapot to pour two cups of hot tea. Handing Mom a mug, I lifted my own to my lips and sipped the rejuvenating brew.

"I'm not sure, Mom. I think the best thing to do is make sure he doesn't have access to any weapons, then put him to work."

She paced to a stop in front of me, her hands on her hips. "How can we trust his loyalties, Edward? What if Vivi comes back and he turns on us after we welcome him into our community?"

I sighed tiredly and pinched the bridge of my nose. These were all very good questions - ones I didn't have answers for at the moment.

"I don't know, Mom," I admitted honestly.

She eyed me worriedly while chewing on her lower lip, then seemed to make a decision. "I don't want him living in the house, Edward," she stated, as she pointed at me sternly.

I nodded.

"He can eat with us, but he sleeps in the old sleeping hut and he uses the outside toilet and shower, and we lock our doors at night."

I nodded again.

"When are you going to question him?"

"As soon as the family has eaten, Dad, Emmett, Jasper and I will question him while we feed him breakfast. He responded well to my questions last night after I brought him food. I want to try it again."

"Alright." Mom opened the oven and slid in the plate of pancakes to keep warm.

"When will breakfast be ready? I want to check on Larry. He'll probably need to take care of a few things."

Mom nodded in understanding. "About half an hour. Jasper and Alice are feeding the animals and your father's in his office, but the others aren't downstairs yet."

"Alright. I'll take Larry to care for his more pressing needs. Can you get me a towel and some of my old sweats for him – he needs a shower - he stunk to high heaven last night.

Her mouth tightened again, but she nodded. "I'll leave you what you need and a bucket of hot water on the verandah."

I kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Mom," I said, as I left the kitchen by the side door.

…

"Rise and shine, Larry," I called, as I unlocked and opened the door to the hut.

As the morning sun lit up the small space, Larry was spotlighted sitting in the corner where I'd left him last night. He squinted and ducked his head as the bright sun blinded him.

Stepping into the hut, I hauled him to his feet, wrinkling my nose in reaction to his unwashed odor.

"Turn around, Larry, so I can untie your wrists," I told him.

He complied meekly.

"Time to hit the shower, Larry."

He wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"There's no point fighting it, Larry. You stink and Mom won't let you in the house for breakfast until you're as fresh as a daisy."

His eyes widened at the mention of breakfast and he walked eagerly to the door of the hut. The food reward system seemed to be working to gain his cooperation.

"What's for breakfast, Mr Red? I'm real hungry," he said.

I followed him outside. "Over this way, Larry," I instructed, leading him in the direction of the house. "We're having pancakes for breakfast."

"Yum, I love pancakes, but I never had 'em for breakfast b'fore. We always had 'em for afters."

"Well today is your lucky day, because you _do_ get to eat them for breakfast. And while you're eating, I'm gonna ask you a few questions, okay?"

"Okay, Mr Red."

I picked up the clothes and shower supplies from the verandah steps and handed them to Larry, then picked up the bucket of steaming hot water.

"The shower's over here," I said, leading the way.

He lumbered along beside me. I showed him the pit toilet downwind of the shower and walked away a few yards, to give him some privacy. While I waited, I went through the list of questions in my head I wanted to ask Larry. First and foremost was to find out where Vivi was; when she was coming back; what they knew about us, and what their interest was in this island. Maybe with that information, we'd be able to figure out how to beat Vivi at her own game. I heard Larry lumbering back through the underbrush, so I turned on the shower.

He stepped up beside me, held his hands under the cold shower water, then showed me his dripping hands.

"I'm ready for breakfast now, Mr Red."

I snorted. "Do you call that a shower, Larry?"

He frowned at me and nodded his head.

I scowled. "Strip off and get under the water," I ordered. "There's a bar of soap on the bench and a bottle of shampoo. I expect you to use both of them liberally."

He scowled back at me. "What's liballry mean?"

"It means to use a lot of it. Now get going. I'll be waiting here when you've finished."

"But, the water's cold, Mr Red," he whined.

I rolled my eyes. "I have a bucket of hot water for you to rinse off with. Now get in the shower. It's the same shower my family and I used for three months. If we could do it, so can you."

He slouched with his hands held in front of him, glowering like a naughty preschooler.

I stood at attention, my hands behind my back as I eyed Larry sternly. "I gave you an order, Larry. If you don't shower, you don't get pancakes."

He pouted, then stomped away to strip off his filthy clothes and step beneath the flow of water. He complained for twenty minutes, but at the end of it, he was clean again and more than ready for breakfast.

…

When I led Larry into the house, the rest of the family – except Rosalie and Bella – were only just sitting down to breakfast. They all stared at us silently. Mom came into the dining room from the kitchen with the platter of pancakes. She paused when she saw Larry, then placed the food on the table.

"Good morning, Larry," Mom said, with cool politeness.

Larry nodded stiffly. "Morning, Mrs Lady," he responded quietly, as he scratched at the grazes around his wrists.

I frowned and stared at him. _Mrs Lady?_ Mom quirked a brow at the oddness of his address, and Dad frowned. He stood up and walked toward us.

"Let me treat your wrists and your head, Larry," Dad said calmly. He held his arm out in the direction of the door.

He shook his head. "But, Mr Red said I could have pancakes," he whined at Dad.

I eyed Dad from behind Larry and tapped my temple, trying to communicate my observations him.

He nodded at me that he understood before answering Larry. "It'll only take a few minutes, Larry, then you can eat. Mrs … _Lady_ will make sure there is plenty of food left for you."

Larry eyed Emmett who was piling pancakes onto his plate, then turned to look at Mom worriedly – she moved the platter away from Emmett and nodded her assurances to Larry.

"Come on, Larry," I said, "the office is this way. The sooner you do as you're told, the sooner you get pancakes."

"Okay," he pouted, as he followed Dad out of the dining room. I brought up the rear.

"We'll be back," I whispered to Mom.

…

Dad pulled on a pair of gloves. "Sit up on the bed there, Larry, so I can take a look at your wrists and your head.

He did as he was told. "Are you a doctor, mister?"

Dad smiled as he inspected Larry's wrists. "Yes, I am."

"You must be real smart then, huh?" asked Larry.

Dad cleaned the rope grazes making Larry wince with discomfort.

"Yes, I suppose I am," replied Dad, as he spread salve over the minor wounds and wrapped them in white bandages.

"Did _you_ go to school, Larry?" Dad asked, as he gently probed Larry's scalp beneath the dreadlocks.

He shrugged. "Yeah, but I didn't do so well. They said I was dumb."

Dad's eyelids flickered. "Who told you that?"

Larry shrugged again. "Um, the other kids and my … my teacher. I heard her tellin' my Mum I was special and should go to a different school." He was quiet for a long moment. "Jimmy said I was stupid," he admitted.

Dad's eyelids flickered, but he didn't respond to Larry's remark. "You'll be fine, Larry," Dad said. "Your injuries are minor. Let's get some breakfast."

Larry brightened and jumped down off the bed.

He was out the door and bolting for the dining room before I could stop him. I raced after him, Dad hurriedly bringing up the rear. When we entered the room, the rest of the family had finished eating, and Mom and Alice were making up two breakfast trays for Rosalie and Bella.

"We're going upstairs," Mom said quietly as they passed us. "There's another platter of pancakes in the oven."

"Okay, thanks, Mom."

I waited until Mom and Alice were on the stairs before pointing to an empty chair at the table.

"Sit over there," I told Larry.

He eyed Jasper warily, but sat down beside him. Dad sat opposite Larry beside Emmett. I went quickly into the kitchen and came back with the platter of warm food. Mom had already refilled a salad bowl with fresh cut fruit, which was on the table, along with a jug of thick cream and one of warm palm sugar syrup. Placing the platter on the table within Larry's reach, I sat down beside him and pulled a notepad and pencil toward me. Dad and Jasper had their own materials, but Emmett sat stiffly, glaring at Larry with his arms folded across his chest.

"Help yourself, Larry," Dad invited.

Larry reached eagerly for the pancakes, picking up a large stack with his fingers. He barely seemed to register the heat as he dropped all but one of them onto his plate, and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Thanks, Doctor Pops," he mumbled around a mouthful of food. His mouth slopped noisily as he ate.

"You're welcome. Please chew with your mouth closed, Larry," Dad said quietly. "It's not polite to slop your food when you eat."

Larry gulped and stared at Dad wide-eyed. "Alright, Doctor Pops." He picked up another pancake with his fingers, ignoring the cutlery beside his plate.

"Would you like some fruit and cream, Larry," Dad offered.

He nodded and reached his hand into the bowl. Dad stopped him before his fingers came into contact with the cut fruit.

"Stop!"

Larry pulled his hand back like a dog had taken a snap at it.

Dad frowned at him. "Use the spoon in the bowl to serve yourself, Larry."

I watched closely as Larry picked up the spoon in his fist and served himself some fruit, dropping half of it on the table as he did so. Emmett looked at him in disgust. He held the jug of cream in his large hand and went to dip his fingers, but stopped when Dad shook his head.

"Pour it out, Larry. Do the same with the syrup."

"Okay, Doctor Pops."

Dad made copious notes on his notepad while Larry ate mostly with his hands. When he did use his cutlery, he fisted the implements in his hands rather like a child who hadn't been taught yet how to properly use silverware. It said a lot about his upbringing.

I also noticed that he'd been addressing us using titles that Jimmy or Vivi had used previously – Red, Pops, Lady – he seemed to think those monikers were our names. None of us had yet corrected him, and I'm not sure it would have done any good in any case.

Larry had, for the main part, adhered to Dad's directive to close his mouth when he chewed. Dad had corrected him gently when he forgot. When he'd finished two thirds of the food on his plate, I began my questioning.

"Larry, what's your full name?"

He looked up and blinked at me, swallowing before he answered.

"Larry," he answered simply.

Already, I could tell that questioning Larry wasn't going to be easy.

"Is Larry your given name?"

He stared at me. I stared at Dad across the table, gesturing helplessly.

Dad took over the line of questioning. "What's your last name, Larry?"

"Vincent." He reached for another stack of pancakes, stabbing them with his fork this time.

Well, at least he was learning, I thought.

Dad scribbled it down. "Vincent. That's a good strong name. Do you have any other names, Larry?"

"Nah," he said as he topped the cakes with more fruit, cream and syrup.

"How old are you, Larry?"

He spoke with his mouth full. "Twenty-five."

"Is Vivi your cousin?"

"Yeah."

"And what is her full name?"

Larry blinked and chewed, frowning as he tried to comprehend the question. Dad tried a different tactic.

"Is Vivi a nickname or is it her real name?"

Understanding dawned. "Oh yeah, nah, her name's Victoria."

"And is her last name the same as yours?"

"Yeah. Her dad and my dad were cousins."

Dad nodded in understanding. "So Vivi's name is Victoria Vincent?"

Larry chewed and swallowed. "Yeah."

"VI from the first and last name," Jasper said, "Vivi."

I nodded.

Mom came back into the room carrying a load of dirty laundry to go into the washing machine. I had to remember to give her Larry's clothes to be laundered. I figure she'd need to soak them before she put them in her pristine washing machine.

"How's it going in here, boys?" she asked cheerfully. I could see that Mom was trying to make an effort to keep Larry at ease to ensure our questioning was successful.

"It's going well, Mom," I replied. "Larry's eating a hearty breakfast and chatting with us."

Larry nodded enthusiastically. "These pancakes sure are good, Mrs Lady. I ain't never tasted pancakes that tasted this good b'fore."

Mom smiled wanly. "I'm pleased, Larry. Do you want anything else?"

He looked at me for permission. I nodded.

"Um, yeah. Mrs Lady, do you got any Milo? I sure would like a hot Milo drink."

Mom eased herself into a dining chair with the laundry clutched in her arms. "Hmm, Larry, I'm not sure I know what Milo is. Can you explain it to me?"

"It's chocolatey goodness in a green can, Mrs Lady. Can I have some?"

I rubbed my aching forehead. Jesus, this guy was like a kid. He had the maturity level of a 10 year old. Jimmy and Vivi should be shot for taking advantage of the poor dumb bastard, let alone giving him control of a gun – and an assault weapon to boot. If Jimmy wasn't already dead, I'd find him and shoot him now.

Mom shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Larry, we don't have any Milo and we don't have any chocolate. Would a cup of tea be okay? It's all we have."

"Okay, Mrs Lady, I like tea. You sure you don't have no Milo?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Larry." Mom stood up from the able. "I'll be right back with your tea."

"Yes, ma'am." Larry leaned toward me to whisper. "I got Milo at camp, Mr Red. Can we goes and get it?"

My heart jumped excitedly. "Where is camp, Larry?"

"On the other side."

"On the other side of the island?" I clarified.

"Yeah. Can we goes there?"

I nodded slowly. "Yes, Larry, I think we can."

He smiled beatifically.

Mom came in with a pot of tea and a plate of fruit muffins, warm from the oven. Larry's eyes lit up like it was his birthday.

"Would you like one, Larry?" Mom offered.

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, ma'am."

Mom placed a large muffin on a plate and handed it to him, sliding the butter dish towards him. He picked it up in his hands and clumsily broke it apart, then reached for the butter with his fingers. I placed my hand on his to stop him, handing him a butter knife to use instead. He looked at the implement as though unsure what to do with it. He looked at Mom and handed it to her.

"Will you do it for me, Mrs Lady?"

Mom exhaled slowly and nodded, spreading butter on the warm pieces of cake. "There you are, Larry."

He ducked his head in shame. "Sorry, Mrs Lady, I ain't no good at using cutery," he mispronounced.

Mom patted his shoulder. "It's okay, Larry, I'll teach you how to use _cutlery_," she emphasized.

Larry looked between me and then Dad. "Are I going to stay here with you 'til Vivi comes back?"

We all consulted each other silently. Finally, Dad nodded. "Yes, Larry, you're going to stay here with us. But there are rules you have to follow, do you understand?"

He frowned. "What rules?" He slurped from his mug of hot tea, making a face at the strange taste.

"The hut you stayed in last night will be yours. We'll give you a bed and some blankets."

Larry's eyes widened.

"You'll eat your meals in the house with us. You can use the outside pit toilet and shower," Dad continued.

"Okay, Doctor Pops," he said cheerfully.

"You have to shower every night before dinner," I interjected, "using soap, and you need to take your dirty clothes to Mom to have them washed."

He frowned and scratched his head. "Who is, Mom? And, I don't got any clothes here, Mr Red, 'cept what I was wearin'. They all at the other side."

"Mom is Mrs Lady," I explained. "She's my mother and Doctor Pop's wife, so you treat her with respect, okay?"

"Okay, Mr Red."

"When we go to the other side, we can collect your clothes as well," I told him.

"When can we goes there, Mr Red?"

"Soon. Larry, where did Vivi go? Do you know?"

He shook his head and scratched at his scalp as though thinking hurt him. "Nah, Mr Red. Jimmy only said she was goin' to Huhwhy, but he didn't tell me why. Jimmy never told me nothin'; he said I couldn't keep no secret if my life depend'd on it. Why you kill Jimmy, Mr Red?"

I stared at Larry, my mouth thinning as I leaned toward him menacingly. He reared back and started to shake.

"Edward," Dad cautioned.

I pulled back a little and relaxed my posture so it was less threatening.

"Jimmy hurt two of our women, Larry, and he would have killed us," I explained tersely.

He frowned. "Did he hurt Mrs Blondie real bad, Mr Red? I swear, I didn't know what he's doin', Mr Red. He jus' tell me to guard the fishin' village."

Dad reached across the table and patted Larry's hand. "We know you had nothing to do with what Jimmy did, Larry, but we had to defend ourselves. Jimmy threatened us."

He sat quietly for long moments, before speaking quietly. "Jimmy's a bad man like my Daddy was, isn't he, Mr Red?"

I was stunned that Larry recognized a 'bad' man from a 'good' man.

"Yes, Jimmy was a bad man," said Jasper. "Did you have to hide from Jimmy, Larry?"

Jimmy stared at Jasper. "Sometimes, mister, but I had to hide from my daddy all the time. He hurt me and my mum."

Mom and Dad exchanged knowing glances. "Well, no one will hurt you here, Larry. You won't need to hide from us," assured Mom.

Jasper leaned towards Larry. "That's right, Larry. We won't hurt you if you don't hurt us. We're going to give you chores to do, okay? We all work here."

"Okay, mister. What you want me to do?"

Jasper chuckled. "Well, first of all, you can call me Jasper; and second, we're digging a trench. You can help my brother and I with that." Jasper pointed to Emmett who's face was stormy with a dark scowl.

Larry's eyes widened worriedly.

"Don't worry about, Emmett, Larry," assured Jasper, "as long as you do your chores properly, Emmett won't hurt you, will you, Emmett?"

He growled and bared his teeth, which was followed by a thump and an, "Ow!" I think Dad kicked him under the table.

Emmett stared grudgingly at Larry. "No. I won't hurt you, as long as you do as you're told and you don't hurt our family," Emmett bit out through clenched teeth.

"Okay, Mr Emmett."

Our questioning of Larry continued for another hour. He didn't know much, and asking our questions in a way he could understand was sometimes a challenge, but we confirmed that Jimmy and Vivi _were_ here looking for a missing ship that sank in these waters around 1740. He didn't know what they were looking for exactly, but they had all sorts of charts, maps and scuba gear.

Bingo!

He also told us that Vivi left three days ago and was due to return in about a week or so. He really _didn't_ have any idea why she went. He and Jimmy came ashore on the north side of the island in the Zodiac with two weeks worth of supplies. He told us that almost immediately after making camp, Jimmy disappeared for hours at a time leaving him alone at their campsite. He would return late at night and leave again early in the morning. That must have been when Jimmy spied on our camp. He must have had some type of reconnaissance training, because none of us had seen any sign of him.

"Larry, how did you come to be with Vivi and Jimmy?" Dad asked curiously.

"Me mum died and Vivi came to get me from the center to goes to her foonral. She never take me back."

"When was that?"

"'Bout a year ago."

Dad jotted down some notes. "You said Vivi took you from the center - what was the center, Larry?"

He shrugged and traced pictures on the table with his finger. "Dunno. Jus' called it the center."

"How long were you there, do you remember?" Dad queried.

Jimmy frowned and counted on his fingers. "'Bout this many years, Doctor Pops," he said holding up his fingers. There were eight of them.

Dad's brow wrinkled. "What did you do there, Larry?"

"Played games and draw'd; make things."

"What kind of games did you play?"

"Football. I barracks for St Kilda."

Emmett looked up from staring at the table. "The St Kilda football club," he commented. I don't think he expected Larry to reply.

"Yeah. You barracks for them as well, Mr Emmett?"

Emmett grunted. "Yeah."

Dad fidgeted with his pen, rolling it between his fingers as he mulled over what Larry had told us about himself.

"Larry, do you know why you were at the center?"

He shrugged. "Me mum says I had Asperagas real bad and she can't cope wif me no more. I don't learn good and get into trouble all the time. Make her tired."

I frowned along with the rest of us. What the hell was Asperagas. I looked at Dad. His eyes widened and he exchanged a glance with Mom who was still sitting at the table with us.

"I don't like Asperagas, Mrs Lady. You ain't gunna make me eat 'em are ya. They stink," said Larry sagely.

Mom giggled. "No, Larry, no asparagus," she said, pronouncing the word correctly.

"Can I watch TV now, Mr Red? I'm tired of talking," he told us, as he rubbed his eyes.

"How did you know we had a TV, Larry?" I responded.

He shrugged. "Ev'yone has a telly," he said guilelessly.

I suppose _they_ did. I looked at Dad for guidance; he nodded his head and closed his notebook. We were done for now. Larry was looking distractedly into the living room. We wouldn't get much more out of him at the moment. I'd try again after dinner and on the trip to the north side tomorrow.

I looked at Larry sternly. "You can watch one hour of TV, Larry."

He stood up from the table, wiping his greasy hands on the front of his t-shirt (actually my t-shirt).

"Come and wash your hands, Larry," commanded Mom as she frowned at the shiny stain on the fabric, "then you can watch television."

"'Kay, Mrs Lady," he said agreeably.

He stood up from the table and followed Mom into the kitchen. We watched through the kitchen doorway as she handed him a bar of soap. She supervised as he cleaned up and she made him wash his face as well. When he was clean and dry again, Mom led him into the living room and settled him on the sofa in front of the TV. A few minutes later he was happily engrossed in an old 'Bugs Bunny' cartoon as a forerunner to a 1960's episode of 'Batman and Robin'.

"What do you think is wrong with him?" I whispered to Dad as we watched from the dining room.

"I think he's mildly Autistic. He made a reference to Asperger, which is a form of Autism, but less pronounced. He demonstrates symptoms of both spectrum's."

"Like what?" Jasper inquired quietly.

"His speech development is inhibited, and his mannerisms are childish."

"His table manners are appalling," commented Mom with a shudder.

"Yes, he seems to have trouble using common tools. He fists them in his hands and he hasn't mastered how to use them. He shows a marked preference for eating with his hands."

"He doesn't seem to know all that much about what Jimmy and Vivi were up to," remarked Emmett.

"No, I think that was deliberate on their part. Larry is very open and cooperative with strangers with the right incentive."

"Food," I said.

Dad nodded. "Yes, and I suspect television and games. He mentioned games when he talked about the center."

"I thought people with Autism were withdrawn?" asked Jasper.

"They usually are," agreed Dad. "Children with true Autism are often completely withdrawn. They rarely speak or communicate in any way. They shun personal contact and their social abilities are non-existent."

"But Larry isn't withdrawn," I said.

"No, which is why I think his condition falls more into the Asperger spectrum with some Autistic traits, rather than full Autism."

I sighed. "Dad, what are we going to do with him? When Vivi gets back, if she gets hold of him again, he'll tell her everything he knows about us."

Emmett answered. "Keep him away from any weapons and make sure he's not around when we talk strategy," he said. "As much as I don't want him here, he doesn't deserve to die because he's mentally impaired. Vivi and Jimmy should have left him where he was."

"Yes," agreed Dad. "Their mismanagement of Larry's care has probably sentenced the poor man to a life in prison or an institution, but I suspect the center _is _some type of institution. Edward, see if you can find out more about where the center is, as well as more information about Jimmy and Vivi. Engage him in friendly conversation when you go to get his things. He may have heard or observed more than he realizes."

"I planned on it. We'll go tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?" I asked, looking at Jasper and Emmett.

Emmett shook his head. I don't think he wanted to leave Rosalie alone yet. I didn't want to leave Bella either, but it was imperative we check out the north side of the island while Vivi was gone. Jasper indicated he'd come with us.

"Alright, we'll take the Zodiac. Maybe there's more fuel on the north side and we can get off this island. I'm gonna head upstairs and check on Bella. I'll see you all later."

Dad stopped me. "Edward, I told Bella she could get up and shower when I checked on her earlier. Don't let the wound dressing get wet."

"Okay, thanks, Dad."

...

Bounding up the stairs, I arrived on the second level and walked silently to my bedroom door. The hinges squeaked as I pushed on the door, making me cringe as I entered the dim room lit by filtered light peeking through the closed shutters.

Bella was lying on her back in the middle of the bed, sleeping as I crept across the floor to look down on her. Her leg was still elevated over a pillow and she frowned in discomfort as she moved in her sleep. Her partially eaten breakfast tray was on the side table.

"Bella?" I whispered. Crawling onto the bed beside her, I laid down and pulled her into my arms, stroking the tangled hair off her face.

"Hmmm, Edward?" she breathed as she roused from her doze.

"Hi, baby, I'm here." I leaned down and kissed her gently on the mouth.

"I missed you," she rasped.

"I missed you too, baby, but I had to question Larry."

"'Kay. Find anything out?" she whispered, as she snuggled into my arms. I embraced her carefully, pulling her in against me.

"Not much. He doesn't know a lot."

"What are we gonna do with him?" she whispered through dry lips.

"He'll stay with us for the moment. He's not capable of being on his own."

She frowned at the thought of one of the pirates living in our midst. Rubbing her arm, I tried to soothe her anxiety.

"You let me worry about, Larry, Bella. Your only job is to get well."

"But I do worry," she whispered as her fingers traced a pattern on my t-shirt clad chest.

"I know, but try not to. Stress will slow your recovery."

She pouted. "'Kay, but to be clear, I'm not happy about it."

I chuckled. "I understand. I don't think Mom, Alice and Rosalie are too keen on the idea either, and Emmett is opposed to it as well even though he hasn't actually voiced his objections."

"Is he dangerous?" she asked worriedly.

I remained silent for a moment as I stroked my fingers up and down her bare arm and hand. "I don't think so, Bella. Dad thinks he has a neurological condition called Asperger. It's a type of Autism."

She looked up at me. "Really. I went to school with a boy who had Asperger. He had a teachers aide all the way through high school. He was very bright, but easily distracted. The aide kept him focused on his school work. Without her help, he would never have graduated."

"What was he like," I asked her.

"He was a very sweet-natured boy. He liked routine and he'd get fixated on something, like a book, a game, or a movie. Once he was fixated, he would only read that book, play that game or watch that movie for days or even weeks at a time. If his routine changed, like the class schedule for instance, he'd get upset. He found it hard to cope with any changes in his day-to-day activities."

I wondered if setting a routine for Larry might be beneficial, such as set work, leisure, meal and sleep times.

"Are you thirsty?" I asked Bella.

"Hmm, yes."

I helped her sit up and then poured her a glass of water from the bottle by the bed. She drank thirstily and held the glass out for a refill.

"Dad said you can shower if you want to, but I have to help you."

She grinned and sipped from the refilled glass. "That's fine by me, Edward, and then I'd like to go downstairs for a while."

"I don't know, Bella. Dad didn't say you could stay out of bed, he just said you could shower."

She pouted in disappointment.

"I tell you what. I'll ask Dad and if he says you can come downstairs, how would you like to lay on the sofa and watch some TV?"

Her face brightened in response to the compromise. "Yes!"

"Okay. You stay right here in bed and I'll go downstairs for something to wrap your leg in. I'll be right back," I said, as I leaned down to kiss her.

When I went back downstairs, Jasper was sitting in the living room with Larry watching the television. He was engrossed in what was on the screen and sitting quietly. Jasper looked up when I entered the room.

"Hi, how's it going?" I asked him.

"Good. Larry's hour of television is nearly up, and then we're gonna outfit the hut with a bed for him."

"Okay, good. Do you know where Dad is?"

"In his office. How's Bella?"

"She's better. She wants to come downstairs. I said I'd consult Dad."

Jasper chuckled. "Yeah, Rosalie wanted to come downstairs as well, but Emmett made her stay in bed. He's up there with her now making sure she stays put for a while longer."

I grimaced. "Yeah, I'd prefer Bella to stay in bed as well. I thought about lying to her about asking Dad, but if she finds out, I'll be in the doghouse, and I'm in enough trouble with her, as it is."

"For yelling at her about going off on her own?"

"Yeah. I'll talk to her about it later, but for now, I'd prefer to keep her happy, stressfree and distracted."

"If Rosalie finds out that Bella can come downstairs, then she'll give Emmett hell for making her stay in bed. I won't wanna be in his shoes when she finds out."

I grinned. "Rosalie's wrath is his problem. I'm only concerned with Bella's," I replied. "I'm going to find Dad. I'll see you at lunch."

"Okay."

I turned to leave the room, but paused to stare at Larry. He'd remained fixated on the TV during our entire conversation. It was almost as though he'd tuned us out. I'd question him later to see if he absorbed any of it.

...

"Dad?" I called from his open office door.

He looked up, slightly distracted. "Oh, Edward, come in. How's Bella?"

"Good. She wants to come downstairs after her shower. I said I'd ask you."

He nodded. "That's fine, but I don't want her walking on that leg just yet. She can sit on the sofa or on one of the sun loungers on the verandah."

Bugger!

"Okay, I'll tell her. Do you have something I can use to cover her wound?"

He stood up to pull a roll of plastic and some tape from a cabinet. "Use this. Wrap the leg three or four turns and then tape it so no water seeps in. Have her sit on one of the folding plastic picnic chairs."

I nodded my understanding.

"Don't let her have the water too hot, Edward. She should have a warm shower because hot water will lower her blood pressure."

…

When I bounded back into our bedroom, Bella was sitting on the side of the bed and trying to stand unassisted.

"Bella!" I yelled shrilly in surprise.

"Hi, that was quick," she responded easily, blithely ignoring my implied reprimand.

"What are you doing?" I snapped at her. The bandage around her leg was starkly white against her lightly tanned skin. We were all tanned after nearly four months on this island living and working in the blazing equatorial sun.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she snapped back, as she used the side table to pull herself up so she was standing on her uninjured leg. "I'm trying to stand up!"

I scowled. "Can't you _ever _wait for me, Bella? Do you have to do _everything_ on your own?" I hissed, as I hurried over to ease my arm around her shoulders when she nearly toppled backwards onto the bed.

She inhaled sharply and glared at me. "I'm an independent woman, Edward, you know that. I can do things on my own."

"Yes, I know, but you take independence too far sometimes, like yesterday," I said tersely, remembering vividly how she came to be injured.

She scowled, as I eased her back to sit on the side of the bed. I sat beside her, keeping my arm around her shoulders to keep her there.

"What is it about accepting _my_ help do you hate so much?" I asked her sadly.

She sighed and looked at me, bringing her hand up to cup my cheek. I turned my head to kiss the palm of her hand.

"Nothing, Edward. I love you and I love that you want to protect me; I'm just … not used to it, that's all. My grandmother raised me to be independent as did my father before he died," she said, turning her face away to look down at the floor.

I sighed and turned her face towards me with a gentle, but firm hand. Leaning forward, I kissed her, sliding my tongue between her parted lips, trying to show her just how much I loved her. She moaned into my mouth and returned the kiss, sliding her arms up and around my neck. I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her waist and explored her mouth. Pulling back, I leaned my forehead against hers and breathed in and out slowly as I calmed my arousal. Even injured and bedraggled, she could set my loins on fire.

"Bella, I know you're independent and I'm not trying to change that – I never will, but sometimes, like yesterday _and_ now, it makes sense to ask for help. You can't always do everything on your own."

She pouted and looked at the floor again.

"You know, a very wise brother of mine recently told me that I can't do everything all of the time. He told me this when I was acting like a real jerk, especially to you. I was feeling sorry for myself after I broke my arm, and acting like everything was my responsibility. He told me I'm _not_ the center of the universe and to let the family help me. He was right and now I'm giving you that same advice, Bella."

She pulled back and glared at me. "I _do not_ think that I'm the center of the universe, Edward Cullen!" she yelled. "How could you even say such a thing? Rosalie's life and her baby's life were in jeopardy if I didn't play James' game. He wanted _me_ Edward and he used Rosalie to make me jump through hoops while he waited to collect. You don't know what that responsibility was like!" she said through a stream of tears.

"Yes, I do, Bella," I whispered as I stroked the tears away from her face with my thumbs. "I faced those types of choices every day for the past ten years in the navy. I've had to make difficult decisions and follow orders I didn't always agree with, but there is _always_ a bigger picture, Bella, and there is _always_ consequences for our actions. Every action has a reaction; cause and effect. It's not always fair, but that's just the way it is and sometimes, we have to ignore our initial instincts to jump in, because working as a team means a greater reward in the end."

She sniffed, but otherwise remained silent as she leaned against my chest.

"And I don't think that you believe you're the center of the universe. It was an analogy, but an apt one, because you and I are similar creatures, I think. We both want to solve everyone's problems and make the world right on our own. Unfortunately, it's not always in our best interest to act in such a manner."

"You yelled at me – in front of everyone," she complained into my chest.

I sighed. "Yes, I know and that was wrong of me, but I was so worried about you and then relieved that you weren't dead, that I wasn't thinking and it just spewed out of me."

She lifted her head from my chest. "Is that an apology for telling me off?" she sniffled around a wan smile.

I stiffened. "No, Bella, it's not an apology for reprimanding you. I'm sorry I yelled at you in front of the family – I should have spoken with you in private – but the rebuke _was_ warranted. Your behavior was brave, but singular and foolish, and you disobeyed orders that were in place to protect all of us. You knew the rules – the entire family accepted them, but you disregarded them without thought for your own well-being or anyone else."

She opened her mouth to object, but I silenced her with a quietening finger over her mouth.

"You could have been killed, Bella and so could have Rosalie. If we hadn't been able to figure out what Jimmy was up to, the entire situation may have ended differently. Rosalie would likely be dead, and you'd be Jimmy's sex slave or possibly dead yourself."

She gasped as my words painted a horrible picture of her possible future.

"But I left you notes and clues along the way, Edward!" she said shrilly. "I wasn't completely stupid. I knew I couldn't handle Jimmy all on my own, but I made the only decision I thought I could – to save Rosalie and the baby," she finished quietly.

Kissing the top of her head, I hugged her close to me as I tried to make her understand.

"I _do_ appreciate the predicament you were in, Bella, but there has to be order and accountability or else we won't survive."

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" I asked her gently. "I'm not trying to take away your freedom, baby, I love your independence and your moxy. I just want you to keep yourself safe and alive. I love you, Bella and I can't see a life ahead of me without you in it. I need to know that you're protecting yourself from harm."

She hiccuped as she looked up at me with tear soaked eyes as understanding dawned.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I thought I was doing the right thing. You and Jasper weren't around and Emmett was injured. I didn't know what else to do and I didn't know when you'd be back," she cried.

"And I'm sorry for yelling at you in public," I said sheepishly. "I seem to keep doing that and I promised you I wouldn't do it again. We both have broken promises to our credit. Let's both make a pact to do better from now on to keep our word to each other. What do you say?"

She smiled and held her hand out. I grinned and placed mine in hers. We shook on it, making our treaty official, then sealed it with a kiss.

"Let's get you into the shower."

"Yes please!" she groaned.

…

After a long warm shower with Bella, I carried her downstairs to the living room and settled her on the sofa in front of the television. She was dressed in her pajamas and dressing gown with a pair of my thick socks on her feet. I slipped a pillow under her injured leg and then covered her with a throw as she reclined against the sofa cushions.

"Do you want something to eat, baby?" I asked, as I handed her the TV remote.

She clicked it on and immediately began scrolling through the channels looking for something interesting to watch.

"Hmm, yes. I am a little hungry and a cup of tea would be nice, sweetie," she said, smiling at me hopefully.

"Coming right up, ma'am."

As I headed through the dining room toward the kitchen, I ran into Emmett as he carried Rosalie down the stairs. She was dressed similarly to Bella and looked irritated that her husband was treating her with kid gloves.

"Give in, did you?" I snickered.

He grunted.

Rosalie scowled.

"I'm getting Bella a snack, Rose. Do you want something to eat?"

"Yes, please, I'm starving."

"What would you like?"

"Whatever you bring for Bella is fine," she called out over Emmett's shoulder as he continued into the living room. He laid her on the other sofa and covered her with a second throw, then slumped into one of the bamboo club chairs, leaning his head back against the cushions tiredly.

I knew the feeling.

"Hey, Mom," I greeted as I entered the kitchen. "Bella and Rosalie are hungry."

"Hello, Edward. I'm way ahead of you, Son. I've got it all ready for you and there's enough food for you and Emmett as well."

"Thanks, Mom. Where are the others?"

She looked up from laying the service trays. "Jasper and your father are digging the trench with Larry's assistance and Alice is taking a nap. She's emotionally exhausted, the poor girl. Yesterday took its toll on her almost as much as it did Rosalie and Bella. Your father has decided to increase her Kava dose for a while – he thinks it'll calm her down a bit more," she commented dryly.

I snorted and exchanged a hopeful glance with Mom, then looked over the tray of food. There was a large plate holding mixed sandwiches of egg and lettuce, and turkey and salad. Mom had made another two loaves of bread with the flour she and Bella had mixed up from ground breadfruit, arrowroot starch and ground potato. The kitchen smelled of yeast and spices. I realized where the spice fragrance was coming from when she placed another plate with slices of fruit cake onto the tray along with a pot of tea.

"Bring the tray of food, Edward, and I'll bring the plates, mugs and napkins."

When we entered the living room and placed the trays on the large ottoman, Rosalie and Bella were engrossed in some type of soap opera. Emmett was snoring with his mouth open in his chair. Mom glanced at him indulgently as she poured out mugs of tea.

"Ladies, we have egg and lettuce sandwiches or turkey and salad," I announced, as I waited poised over the tray.

"Ooh, I'll have one of each," said Bella eagerly, as her stomach rumbled loudly.

She blushed as I handed her a plate with two sandwich halves and a cloth napkin. I grinned, happy that her appetite had improved since leaving more than half her breakfast. Mom handed her a mug of tea while I plated up the same selection for Rosalie.

Mom and I settled in to eat with the girls as they watched their television program. I sat on the end of the sofa with Bella's feet in my lap, rubbing them with one hand so I could eat the sandwich I held in the other. I only had one ear on the mindless drivel of the television program that held the attention of the three women so raptly, as I gazed at the woman I decided I wanted to marry with or without a legal marriage license or a minister.

I was going to ask her to marry me – we could have a commitment ceremony if she was agreeable. Its lack of officialism wouldn't make the union any less real to me. My mind wandered as I wondered what I could use for a ring and what Bella would wear as a wedding gown. I was lost in my own little fantasy of our marriage ceremony held in the grotto garden when the sound of Mom, Bella and Rosalie's shocked gasps broke through the haze. They were discussing the television program during the advert break.

"Oh, my god," shrilled Rosalie, "that _Stephanie_ is such a cow! Always interfering and never minding her own business."

"I know," replied Bella, "and _Taylor_ just drives my crazy. She's such a goody-goody, she's more sickening than Carol Brady. No one is that selfless, and she thinks her daughter _Steffie_ can do no wrong even though she deliberately came between _Hope_ and _Liam!_"

"Oh no," added Mom, "I'm a _Taylor_ fan. That _Brooke _is such a home wrecker. She's slept with every _Forrester_ male from the father to both sons. All of her children have different fathers _and_ she slept with her daughter's husband, having a child to him no less. Poor _Bridget_ and _Hope_," Mom sighed.

What the fuck!

"Ooh, it's back on," said Bella, shushing the other two women. They all faced the screen raptly while they nibbled on fruit cake and sipped tea.

"_You're such a hypocrite, Taylor!" spat a beautiful middle-aged blonde woman. "You somehow manage to condone Steffie's constant interference in Hope and Liam's relationship, not to mention her trickery and her lies, and yet you can stand here and malign my daughter Hope's desire to be with the man she loves."_

_*The equally gorgeous middle-aged brunette woman glared at the blonde woman with disbelief*_

"_For goodness sake, Brooke, Steffie and Liam _are_ married. Hope broke the engagement to Liam, leaving the way free for Liam and Steffie. Hope is living with a married man – what about her principles of chastity now? You should be convincing her to live at home until Steffie's divorce from Liam is final, but oh no, you encourage her aberrant behavior with your starry-eyed view of the world that true love will over come all odds. Well I've got news for you – it won't – you should know that more than anyone."_

"_I agree with Taylor," said an older woman with short gray hair. I could tell she used to be quite beautiful when she was younger. "Brooke, when are you going to grow up? You need to convince Hope to stay away from Liam until his divorce from my granddaughter is final, not float around encouraging this foolishness. Do Hope a favor, Brooke, and stop her from making a huge mistake while she's still young enough. God knows, we don't want her turning out just like you, do we?"_

_*Gasps from the blonde woman and smirking glee from the brunette. Fade to closing credits*_

"What the _hell_ was that?" I grumbled.

"_Bold and the Beautiful_," answered Mom. "It's a soap opera."

I snorted. "Well I figured that out. Don't tell me that you ladies _like_ that senseless drivel?"

Bella's chin came up as she pushed against my thigh with the foot of her uninjured leg. "Yes, we _do_ like it, in the same way you men like to watch endless games of sport."

I scoffed at her analogy. "Bella, it's not the same thing at all. Sport has a purpose whereas _that_ program (I waved at the TV screen) is just plain stupid."

"You don't have to like it, Edward Cullen," interjected Rosalie, "you just have to watch it every week day at 3.30, because now that we know it's on, that's what we'll be doing - every, single afternoon," she stated emphatically.

Mom and Bella nodded their agreement.

"Okay, okay," I said, holding my hands up in surrender. "Watch it if you want, but I won't be sitting through _that_ again. Emmett's lucky he fell asleep."

Rosalie snorted. "I wouldn't worry about Emmett, Edward. He's watched it with me plenty of times. We've had quite a few rousing discussions about various plots over the years."

My mouth fell open in shocked surprise as I stared at my older brother. I never would have picked him for a soap opera fan.

"Don't you _want_ to spend time with me watching one of my favorite television programs, Edward?" pouted Bella.

Oh god!

I looked at Mom desperately as she patted my knee sympathetically. "I'm going to start dinner," she announced, standing up to collect the used plates and tea mugs. "I'll leave you kids to argue the merits of soap operas versus sports."

I faced Bella with a pleading glance. "You were joking, right, about watching that show with you every day?"

She quirked a brow.

Oh god!

_Thou shalt not force one's husband to watch mindless soap opera's_ was definitely going to form part of Bella's marriage vows to me, but first I had to ask her.

I began planning how I would do it.

…

A/N: A few photos are on my blog and the link is: jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com.

Please review and let me know your thoughts.

**Next on Wrecked with Bella:** More about the north side of the island and what's there. Does Larry knows more than he realizes?

Thanks to LisaF29 for Edward's line to Bella (used with permission), "there has to be order and accountability". I think it sums up perfectly what Edward was trying to tell Bella – there must be one person who will make certain rules and laws that the rest of the community must follow to ensure safety.

A few readers were upset that Edward orders Bella and the others around when it comes to safety treating them like his subordinate soldiers – and it's okay to feel that way, but if you think about it, we all live by a multitude of different laws, rules and orders every single day and most of us aren't serving in the armed forces or public service.

We are compelled to follow rules without thought, because they are there for a reason – they protect us, and others from harm. We know this as a truth in the cities we live in, the schools and universities we attend and the employers we work for. Bella would follow the rules in these situations – and she would likely have called the police if Rosalie had been kidnapped in Hawaii, so why is it okay for Bella to flout the rules about safety on the island?

I don't think it is okay, but that's just my opinion. *Hops off soapbox*

Milo: is a chocolate, malted drink powder. Aussie kids are brought up on Milo and milk almost from the moment they are able to drink cows milk. In countries where Milo is not available, Ovaltine or ActaVite would be a suitable alternative. To make a quick hot Milo drink, spoon 2 – 3 heaped teaspoons of powder into a mug, fill three-quarters with boiling water and top with milk of your choice. It makes a comforting drink at any time. You can make it with hot milk if you want, but the other method is quicker and cheaper because you use less milk. It's also great sprinkled over vanilla ice-cream – it's one of my favorites!


	31. Chapter 31 - North

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Sorry I've be AWOL the past couple of months. I've been dealing with some health issues that have made me very tired, and I moved house again about a month ago into a bigger flat. Thanks to Allidel, FlSunshine, Bookworm50210, 2muchtrouble and haylee21 for your messages of concern. I appreciate your well wishes. Happy belated birthday to FlSunshine. I'm sorry I didn't get this posted for the big day, but I hope the wait was worth it.

This chapter didn't go exactly they way I planned. I wanted to include Edward's proposal to Bella, but sometimes chapters seem to write themselves, going in a certain direction no matter what the writer originally planned. I'll be back on track in the next chapter.

Btw: In the previous chapter, I had Carlisle say to Edward about Bella's shower that a hot shower raises blood pressure. It doesn't – it lowers blood pressure. Thanks to bab1067 who very kindly let me know. I haven't yet gone back and fixed the error, but I will.

…

Chapter 31 – North

"Are we there yet?" whined Larry.

"No," intoned Jasper tiredly for the fifth time in as many minutes. He rolled his eyes at me as he maneuvered the Zodiac in a northerly direction parallel to the beach.

I grinned at Jasper. My normally patient brother was just about at his wits end with Larry's endless spiel of questions. _When is lunch? When will we get there? Where are we? Why is the sky blue? What are we having for lunch? Can I watch TV? _I took pity on Jasper, preparing to occupy Larry with my own list of questions.

"Will you tell us about MORTE, Larry?

"Whatcha wanna know, Mr Red?" Larry asked artlessly.

"Did you explore the boat?" He nodded. "Describe it to me."

"It was big and gray," he replied simply, and then he reached into his bag for an enormous muffin Mom had sent for him. He took a huge bite and munched happily.

I barely stopped my eyes from rolling in exasperation. Jasper just snorted under his breath. For one moment, I seriously considered grabbing his food and flinging it overboard, but I restrained myself. I didn't have the time or the patience to deal with the temper tantrum that would surely ensue. A surfeit of food was the one thing we had that kept Larry happy, cooperative and pliable.

"Ask him very specific questions," piped up Jasper.

I nodded. "What did you do all day, Larry? Did you have a job or chores to do?"

Larry wiped the crumbs from his lips with the back of his hand before answering.

"I sweep'd and mopped the floors, Mr Red."

"Did you like that job?"

Larry frowned. "Nah."

"Why'd you do it then?"

"Jimmy made me."

"What else did Jimmy make you do, Larry?" Jasper asked in a light tone.

Larry reached into his bag for a jam sandwich, shoving half of it into his mouth. I hid my impatience behind an implacable expression while I waited for him to swallow and answer. The only clue that my patience was wearing thin was the frantic jiggling of my bent knee as my foot rocked against the floor of the rubber boat.

"Jimmy made me polish the guns on deck, Mr Jasper."

My heart jerked excitedly and I leaned forward to speak to Larry in a conspiratorial pitch. "Were they big guns, Larry?"

"Yeah."

"What type of guns were they – what did they look like?" I asked.

Larry shoved the rest of the sandwich into this mouth. "Darf Vaders," he mumbled around the food. I growl rumbled low in my chest at the nonsensical description, and grasped handfuls of my hair, tugging strongly until I felt the sting of protest in my scalp.

"Patience," cautioned Jasper quietly.

My lip curled up in a snarl, but I heeded his warning. Then the penny dropped and I stiffened, my whole body frozen in dread. "Larry, did you say 'Darth Vader' like in Star Wars?" I asked hoarsely.

He nodded and grinned. "Yeah. Two of 'em looked like Darf Vader's head, 'cept they were gray, not black."

_Shit!_

I looked at my brother with horror filled eyes.

_'What is it?'_ he mouthed silently.

I shook my head.

"Did Jimmy or Vivi have a name for the guns, Larry?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

I gritted my teeth agitatedly. I felt close to dragging important information out of Larry, which would confirm what I already suspected. "What were their real name's, Larry – the guns?" I gritted out.

"Jimmy called 'em MK's," he said as he pulled a banana from his bag and began peeling it.

My eyes widened as I gulped down a sick feeling of trepidation. "Did they have numbers in their names?"

"Yeah."

I swallowed hard. "What were the numbers, Larry?"

He scratched his head and frowned as though trying to remember. I tamped down the growing urge to knock his head against the wooden seat a few times to rattle the intel out of him.

"_DO __**YOU **_REMEMBER THE NUMBERS?" I yelled, losing all patience.

Larry reared back in fright and began to tremble.

"Edward!" reproached Jasper opposite me. "Cool it."

"Why you yellin' at me, Mr Red?" he cried. "I trying to remember."

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. "You're right, Larry – I'm sorry. I know you're doing your best to remember," I gritted out resentfully.

Larry relaxed slightly, but clutched his lunch bag to his chest protectively.

"You sit there for a few minutes and try to remember those numbers, okay?" I rubbed my face in agitation, but at least we knew that MORTE had three guns mounted to her deck.

Larry nodded, eager to please so I wouldn't yell at him again. I glanced at Jasper. He threw me a scornful look. Rolling my eyes, I stared at the horizon ahead of us as we rounded the north side of the island.

There were a few tiny islets off in the distance, but no other land masses that might indicate we weren't alone. Catching sight of a small bay with a pitched tent on the beach and some dilapidated houses nestled within the treeline, I indicated to Jasper that we'd reached our destination.

Ten minutes later we disembarked from the Zodiac in the shallows of the small bay and pulled the rubber boat into shore. Jasper dropped the small anchor leaving the dinghy to bob gently on the water.

Larry bounded through the clear blue water toward the crescent shaped beach like a playful puppy, singing Milo, Milo, Milo under his breath. Jasper and I followed close behind, reaching the camp site just as Larry flung the lid up on a large red cooler and pulled the prized green tin from its depths. He showed it to us triumphantly, an enormous happy grin spreading across his face.

"Look, Mr Red, Milo!" he cried happily.

I nodded. "Yeah, that's great, Larry," I said disparagingly, though it was wasted on Larry. I didn't give a shit about the Milo. "Do you remember the numbers for the guns?" I reminded him.

He hugged the tin and scrambled around on his knees, diving into another cooler – this one blue – for an open carton of ultra heat treated milk.

"Yeah, Mr Red, theys 49 and 110," he said, and then he howled in disappointment when he realized the milk had soured during his absence.

_My_ mood soured as I realized the significance of those numbers. We were in deep shit if Vivi came back with the MORTE!

…

"That milk was rotten!" Larry exclaimed, as he wiped the clotted milk mustache and undissolved chocolate granules from his upper lip.

I looked away in disgust. Thank god Emmett wasn't here to see it, else he'd be puking about now.

"Why'd you drink it then?" I asked in exasperation.

He shrugged.

I rolled my eyes and watched Jasper as he rummaged through the cooler boxes. Most of the perishable items would have to be tossed, but the dry goods, canned and bottled items were okay.

"Mom and Bella are gonna be thrilled," said Jasper. "There's flour here, milk powder, dried pasta, pepper and curry powder." I crouched down beside Jasper as Larry pried the lid off the Milo can and dug in with a large spoon, shoveling dry chocolate granules into his mouth, humming happily.

"Don't eat it all at once, Larry. There isn't any more once that can's empty. You need to ration it out if you want it to last," I cautioned him.

He looked into the large open tin, which was already half empty. "Can't Mrs Lady just buy me some more?" he asked in a perplexed tone.

_Fuck! This guy was utterly clueless._

"No, Larry!" I snarled. "Mrs Lady can't _just _buy you some more. We're stranded on this island and there aren't any grocery stores. You have to make it last, because there won't be any more until we get rescued."

I turned back to Jasper, supremely unconcerned about Larry's Milo supply. He either rationed it of his own accord, or he didn't. It wasn't my problem.

"What else is there?" I asked Jasper. I heard Larry click the lid back onto the Milo can. He put it aside and scrambled into the two-man tent.

"There are canned goods – baked beans, spaghetti, vegetables and fruit. There's also bottles of tomato sauce, which I think is ketchup and steak sauce. There's white sugar, salt and vinegar, 2-minute noodles and canned soup, as well as peanut butter and something called Vegemite."

Larry's head popped out of the tent. "That's mine!" he yelled. He scrambled forward to claim it.

"Keep your shirt on, Larry. No one's gonna keep it from you," I told him. "Get back in the tent and collect your clothes and other things to take back with us."

He eyed the Vegemite jar resting on the sand, looking from it to my stern expression. He pouted, but retreated into the tent, not willing to push his luck with me any further for the moment. I rubbed my forehead. Somehow, somewhere, I had to find the patience to deal with Larry on his level.

I stood up and scanned my eyes around the camp. About a hundred yards away were some dilapidated houses, but they weren't like the Polynesian huts we'd found at the fishing village. These were more European in construction and design – and very old.

"I'm gonna check out those huts," I told Jasper. "Can you see if there's any more fuel around here for the outboard motor. We need gasoline for it and we've only got diesel on Victory."

Jasper nodded. "Yeah, I know. I almost think Jimmy deliberately came ashore using a motor that would be useless to us if we somehow commandeered the Zodiac."

"Yeah. I think so as well. Most people with a large boat like MORTE, especially one outfitted as an assault craft, would use outboard motors that ran on multiple fuel types."

"Cunning fucker!" Jasper mumbled as he turned to pack up the supplies.

I walked off, passing the tent just as Larry began throwing his belongings out the open door. There were various articles of clothing strewn over the sand, plus some books and what looked like a hand-held video game. Various toiletries followed and I had to dodge to the side to miss being hit by a nearly full tube of toothpaste.

_Toothpaste!_

"Hey, Jazz, Larry's got toothpaste!" I called out joyfully. I leaned down to pick up the precious hygiene product before it got lost amongst the debris.

"Hey, Larry, do you have any more toothpaste in that tent?" I bent down to peer inside.

"Nah, Mr Red, but we got toofbrushes," he volunteered, as he held up two sealed packages.

_Fantastic!_

"Okay, bring them out. In fact, bring everything out of the tent and pack it up to take back with us. Then I want you to dismantle the tent."

Larry blinked and his mouth went slack. "Wha's des-man-tel mean?"

"_Dismantle_," I enunciated, "means to take it apart or take it down. I want you to _dismantle_ the tent when it's empty, roll it up and put everything in the tent bag. Do you understand?"

"Yeah."

I nodded in satisfaction and tossed the tube of toothpaste to Jasper, who caught it easily, and then I recommenced walking toward the huts.

"Where you goin', Mr Red?" yelled Larry frantically before I'd walked more than twelve feet. I turned around to find him scrambling out of the tent. He ran towards me, a worried expression on his face.

My lips thinned into an irritated line. Larry's attention span was akin to that of a toddler. I gave him two simple instructions – 1. clean out the tent and 2. take it down – and he'd already forgotten both of them.

"I'm going to explore those houses over there, Larry," I said pointing into the trees

"I come with you, Mr Red," Larry said eagerly, loping off to lead the way.

I breathed in deeply. "I don't need your help, Larry," I called out. "You have jobs to do."

He turned around, an anxious expression on his face. "But I wanna come with _you_, Mr Red."

I stared at him in exasperation.

"Pleeaasse, Mr Red?" he whined. "I work real quick on the other jobs when we get back, I promise," he wheedled.

"Let him go with you, Edward," encouraged Jasper from his kneeling position amongst the detritus expelled from the tent into the camp site. "I can probably do this quicker on my own and Larry might have some useful intel about the huts. Jimmy _did_ leave him on his own during the daylight hours for three days. He must have done _something_ with his time."

I sighed in defeat. "Alright, Larry, come on."

He grinned and bobbed up and down on his toes in excitement, running ahead toward the largest hut which was also the furthest away. I watched him push the shredded door open and disappear inside.

Entering the dark and musty hut, I saw Larry disappear through a doorway into another room. Looking around, I noted the broken furniture and the thick layer of dust and sand laying over every surface. It looked like the prior occupants had done exactly what we'd done – salvage what they could from their ailing ship to build a shelter, and wait to be rescued.

The furniture – what remained of it – was very old and ornate in design with it's cabriole legs and decorative carvings. A tapestry upholstered armchair that had been decimated by vermin, sat in front of the fire place. Above the mantle on the wall, hanging askew, was a yellowed oil painting of a bygone brigantine sailing ship. I stepped closer to study it, brushing the dust, cobwebs and sand away to better see the details. It looked like a ship from the 1700's and I deduced it was _the_ ship that Jimmy had been searching these waters for.

My eyes narrowed in the dim light as I scanned the intricate painting looking for the name of the ship. Wetting a fingertip with saliva, I reached up and rubbed the oil painting where I thought the ships name should be. My fingertip came away coated darkly with centuries old soot from the fire. I could vaguely see the outline of letters becoming visible. Licking another finger, I reached up to rub at the grimy canvas again.

There was _definitely_ a name there! I thought excitedly.

I was about to lift the painting down to look at it in the sunlight when I heard a crash from the rear of the hut in what I assumed was the bedroom.

"Ow!" howled Larry. "Owww! Mr Red!" he yelped.

Rolling my eyes, I abandoned the painting and went to see what he'd done.

_What the fuck!_

Larry was kneeling on the floor in front of a heavy, timber captains chest. He'd obviously been rummaging through it when the lid somehow crashed down on his hands, jamming his fingers between the trunk lid and the box. He was pulling his hands ineffectively, trying to free his fingers without success.

Larry turned his head toward me frantically as I stood over him. His eyes were bright with unshed tears and his lower lip wobbled as though he might burst into tears at any moment. The last thing I wanted or needed, was to deal with a sobbing Larry.

"Mr Red! I caught, Mr Red."

"I can see that, Larry," I said drolly.

Crouching down I inspected the area where his fingers were trapped. They were jammed in there tight, alright. The trunks latch had engaged when the lid crashed down and it was stuck fast.

"Larry, stop yanking on your hands – you're just making the situation worse," I admonished. He stilled immediately. "Can you wriggle your fingers.

"Y-yes," he moaned, "little bit."

"Okay. I'm going to try and loosen the latch and lift the lid. You brace yourself, okay?"

"Y-yes. _Hurry_, Mr Red," he implored.

Standing behind the trunk, I leaned over and grabbed the rusty metal clasp between Larry's trapped digits with my right hand and braced my left hand on the edge of the chest. My left forearm was still a little weak through lack of use. Dad had removed the brace just this morning following more than six weeks of healing.

"On the count of three, Larry," I warned him. He nodded. "One … two … three." I pulled up hard and Larry screamed as the lid abraded his captured fingers. I felt the lid shift minutely, but not enough to free Larry.

Jasper came racing into the hut, having heard Larry's cries.

"What's the matter?" he gasped as he skidded to a stop on the sandy wooden floor, leaving a trail behind in the sand. "I heard screaming."

"I's caught, Mr Jasper," Larry sobbed.

Jasper cocked a brow. "Yes, you are," he agreed. He threw me an inquiring glance as I leaned over the trunk.

I just shrugged and rolled my eyes. "See if you can find something to break the latch, Jazz. It's rusty and it won't disengage."

"Right. Be back in a minute," he said, then raced from the hut.

I turned an annoyed expression on the haplessly caught Larry. He looked away and stared at the floor between his knees.

"I's sorry for makin' trouble, Mr Red," he whispered.

"Yeah, yeah," I replied dismissively. "What's in this bloody thing anyway?"

He looked away shiftily and shrugged a shoulder.

My eyes narrowed as my curiosity grew. "I'm gonna find out when we free you, Larry, so you might as well tell me now," I said sternly.

He turned his head to look at me beseechingly. "You won't takes it off me, will ya?"

"Don't know," I said honestly, "it depends what's in it."

He squirmed on his knees as he stared fixedly at the lid of the chest. Finally he looked up and whispered, "It's my treasure."

My eyes widened – gold? "What _kind_ of treasure?"

"There's a really old book with funny writin' and drawin's in it."

Sounded like the captains log or journal to me. "What else is in the box?"

"A hat and coat and some other stuff, but I don't know what's they are."

I nodded. If this was the captains chest, it probably held his navigational tools and perhaps a telescope of some type.

"Did Jimmy know about your treasure?" I asked curiously. I wondered why Jimmy didn't commandeer the contents, especially the journals. If I'd been him and I'd been looking for a ship wreck, I would have _wanted_ those books.

"Yeah, but he said it was rubbish and I could have it."

I was pondering that conundrum when Jasper came running back into the shack with a battered dinner knife in his hand. "This is all I could find. I think I can use it as leverage to break the latch."

"Well, we've got nothing else we can use, so let's give it a go. You ready, Larry?"

He nodded eagerly and let out a big sigh. "Yeah, me knees hurt, Mr Red – there's somethin' pokin' me."

I nodded to Jasper, who knelt down beside Larry and inspected the latch closely. He scraped away some of the rusted metal with the serrated blade of the dinner knife. I followed the rusty particles with my eyes as they floated to the floor and mixed with the white sand. Thrusting the knife beneath the latch and the locking mechanism, Jasper's hand tightened around the knife handle.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," I grunted. Larry squeaked out a nervous yes.

"One-two-three," Jazz said quickly. On the three he twisted the knife and pulled. The latch broke with a crunch and I lurched backward as the lid flew up and knocked me in the chin.

"Ow! Shit! Fuck!" I yelled as I landed on my butt and crashed against an upright writing desk – the kind where the writing surface folded up to become the door. I was rubbing my throbbing jaw when the lid fell open without warning and cracked me hard on the crown of my head.

I think I saw stars and my stomach lurched sickeningly. I watched through vision obscured by dancing lights as Larry scrambled to his feet and Jasper threw the knife aside to come to my aid.

"Shit, Edward! Are you okay?"

I shook my head, trying to clear the fuzz from my brain. "Yeah, I think so. Help me up, will ya?"

When I was standing, I swayed slightly as Jasper supported my weight with his own. "Sit down for a moment, Edward, until your head clears."

He led me to an old, but sturdy looking captains chair by a small navigation table – both of which were covered in 250 years of dirt – and eased me onto the seat. It groaned under my weight, but held. I was actually relieved to be sitting down.

"I'll go get you some water. I'll be back in a minute. Look after him, Larry," Jasper commanded as he raced out of the hut again.

"You alright, Mr Red?" asked Larry as he edged toward me. I was rubbing my head with one hand and my throbbing chin with the other as I manipulated my jaw. Both injuries were tender, but I was pretty certain nothing was broken.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Drag that chest over here, Larry, and let's see what's in it."

"'Kay."

Larry picked up the chest by one of its side handles and dragged it across the floor, leaving a deep trail in the sand behind him. A piercing screech filled the air that set my teeth on edge – it was like fingernails scoring across a chalk board.

Jasper entered the hut with three water bottles in his hands. He handed one each to me and Larry keeping the third for himself. We all drank thirstily, then Jazz inspected Larry's fingers for damage. I knew they were fine. If he could pick up that heavy chest and drag it across the room, then he was okay.

"You'll live," announced Jasper. "What about you, Edward?"

"Yeah, I'll live as well. The pain in my head's reduced to a tolerable throbbing and I don't want to throw up anymore."

"Good."

"Jazz, see what's on the floor over there where the chest was. It scraped against something when Larry dragged it over here. Show me your treasure, Larry," I invited.

He grinned and bent over the chest, flinging the lid up. He pulled out an early 18th century captains hat made from some kind of stiff black fabric and a faded red coat that was cut away at the waist in front and longer in the back to cover the butt and thighs. Holding the jacket up in front of him, he pushed the hat onto his head and modeled the costume proudly. With his dreadlocks giving his hair a wild look, he could have passed for a pirate of yesteryear. All he needed was an eye patch and rotting teeth to complete the transformation.

"Very good," I complimented. "What else is in there?"

He put the hat and coat carefully to one side and pulled out a pair of worn boots, some threadbare shirts that were once probably white, but which were now yellowed and frail with age, and a pair of tattered beige pants called breeches. I watched him with interest as he laid the items – almost reverently – with the hat and coat before reaching back into the chest.

His behavior told me that he was careful with items that were important to him. He had no qualms about throwing aside items that were commonplace, but his _treasure_ was treated with kid gloves. I found the behavior intriguing coming from Larry.

"Ya want to see the rest, Mr Red? There's lots more."

I waved my hand, encouraging him to continue with the exhibit. I hoped the good stuff – the things I was interested in were hiding below what was obviously the captains uniform.

Larry reached into the deep chest and pulled out a brass sextant, a compass still in its case, a spyglass, two pistols and a small collection of tattered books bound with vellum, as well as the ships log and a leather bound journal. He laid all of the items on the rickety table before me.

"Are there any maps or charts in the chest?" I asked hopefully.

"Nah, that's all there is, Mr Red."

"I might have found something," interjected Jasper from his kneeling position on the floor. I stood up, swaying dizzily for a moment before my vertigo settled and I felt I could walk without falling over. While Larry had been showing me the contents of the trunk, Jasper had swept the thick layer of sand away from the floor to expose a tattered and faded rug. Beneath the rug was an iron grill embedded into the wooden floor.

"A hiding place," I commented.

"Yeah," agreed Jasper. "Help me lift this grate up, will you – it weighs a ton?"

Leaning down, I wove my fingers between the bars. Between the two of us we were able to yank the grate from its frame and lift it away. Inside was a timber lined space that contained a smaller trunk in the same design as the one we'd just explored.

"More treasure!" said Larry excitedly as he abandoned his treasure and sidled closer.

"Maybe," answered Jasper.

"Can I have it?" he asked eagerly. His fingers twitched as though he would grab it any moment and make a run for it.

"Probably not," I told him up front and his face fell in disappointment. If the chest was hidden, then it probably contained maps, charts and other items of importance.

"You can keep the things in the other captains chest – except the sextant, the pistols and the books, because I want those," I told him. Larry's demeanor brightened again. "Why don't you grab something from camp to put them in."

Larry ran off excitedly while Jasper and I knelt and took hold of a side handle, lifting the smaller chest from its hidey-hole.

"You don't want to take the larger chest with us, Ed? It might be good for storage."

"Yeah, I know, but it's too heavy with everything else we've got to take back in the Zodiac. We'll come back for it another time."

There was a padlock sealing the chest. _Shit! _I pointed it out to Jasper.

"See if you can find a key," I said.

We searched the small hut, looking in every piece of furniture. We found a dried up pot of ink and some tattered quills, shoe buckles, metal buttons, cord, cups and plates and various other items salvaged from the ancient sailing ship (including a few Polynesian items), but there was no key to be found.

"Let's just take the smaller chest back with us. We can break the lock when we get home. Where's Larry?" I asked Jasper. He'd been gone longer that was necessary to find a bag for his treasure.

Jasper walked to the door of the hut and looked out. "He's at the camp playing with something. Looks like he got distracted."

"Larry!" Jasper yelled out.

"Yeah!"

"Get over here with a bag for your stuff or we're leaving it behind."

"Comin', Mr Jasper."

"Can you carry the smaller chest, Jazz? - I want to bring the painting that's on the wall over the fire place."

"Yep. Anything else you want?"

"Not in here."

"Okay, I'll put this in the Zodiac and finish packing up the supplies we want to take with us. Here comes Larry."

Larry came barreling into the hut with a pillowcase and began folding the captains costume. He pushed the items into the case until it was bulging at the seams. Lifting the painting off the wall, I carried it over to the navigation table and turned it over so it was face down.

I blinked in surprise. Strapped to the back of the painting with a piece of leather, was a large iron key. The captain obviously hadn't trusted his compatriots. He'd gone to the trouble of hiding the smaller chest, and the key to open it.

Pocketing the key, I placed the log book, the journal and the books on the paintings timber back-board, using it as a tray.

"Let's go, Larry. We need to leave soon and we've got a lot to do."

Larry followed me out, hauling his bulging pillowcase behind him.

I wondered whether Jimmy had brought any other supplies with him, specifically fuel and weapons. "Larry, did Jimmy bring any fuel or other supplies with him that aren't with the tent," I asked him.

"Yeah." That was it.

I _reall_y tried not to roll my eyes in exasperation. "Where-are-they?" I gritted out slowly.

"Dunno."

"What do _you_ know, Larry?" I spat impatiently.

His eyes widened as he realized I was becoming irritated with him once again. I was certain that other people's irritation was not a new phenomena for him.

"Er...?" he squeaked out as he scuttled forward a step or two, placing the bulging pillow case between us as a barrier. I scoffed inwardly._ Like that would stop me!_

"Think, Larry! You must _know_ something. Tell me everything you noticed Jimmy doing while you were here with him."

He blinked at me and scratched his head with his free hand.

"If you don't concentrate and tell me everything you know, I won't let you keep the costume," I threatened. I didn't like doing it, but I figured a penalty versus reward system might be the only way to encourage Larry to focus.

He gasped and clutched his treasure tightly.

"But," I held up one finger, "if you _try_ to remember, I'll let you keep it."

He gulped. "O-okay, Mr Red. I try."

"Okay. Start from when you arrived at this camp site."

"Ahm, Jimmy made me carry all the stuff from the boat up the beach."

I nodded and waved at him to carry on and started walking again. Larry fell into step beside me, still clutching his treasure tightly to his chest.

"Then Jimmy made me put up the tent and fix the stuff inside it."

"Then what? What was Jimmy doing while you were working?"

"Ahm, Jimmy was exp'oring."

"Where? Did you see where he went?"

Larry turned around and pointed toward toward an outcropping of rocks. Shielding my eyes with my hands, I squinted at the rocks My eyes narrowed thoughtfully and I wondered if Jimmy had found a cave or another lava tube to hide the supplies in.

"Larry, did you explore the rocks?" I asked curiously.

"Nah, Jimmy told me not to go there or he'd hurt me. He always knowed when I did wrong," he disclosed with an irritated humph.

"Yeah, I will too," I remarked pithily. Larry always gave himself away with his shifty fidgeting. His eyes widened and he stiffened in fear, obviously remembering what we'd done to Jimmy.

"You won't hurt me will ya, Mr Red?" he asked timidly.

"Probably not, Larry, unless you hurt one of us." Larry relaxed visibly having received assurances of his continued safety. "Okay, you've done very well, Larry."

He smiled cheerfully, happy to have been of service.

"You can keep your treasure, Larry. You deserve the reward."

He grinned and squeezed his treasure bag.

…

After loading the small chest, logs and painting into the Zodiac, I briefly reconnoitered the two smaller shacks, but there was nothing of interest or value. We broke for lunch when I returned to the tent site on the beach, with Jasper and me sharing ours with Larry because he'd eaten all of his own on the boat trip here.

"Jazz, I'm gonna explore the rock outcropping where I think Jimmy might have stored the fuel," I told him as we finished our food and packed up the rubbish. "There might be a cave or a lava tube hidden there. I'll be back in a little while, okay, and then we can leave."

Jasper frowned at my decision to explore on my own, opening his mouth to object. I cut him off before he could utter a word.

"We need the fuel, Jazz, and there might be other supplies, weapons or ammo, not to mention the scuba gear that's supposed to be here. Larry told me there are more supplies but he doesn't know where Jimmy hid them."

Jazz sifted thoughtfully through the sand with his fingers while he stared at me with a closed expression. "We'll come with you, then. We're nearly finished here and we should stick together."

I considered arguing for a brief moment, then thought better of it. I couldn't expect the rest of the family to follow my orders about safety if I wasn't willing to do the same.

"Okay, let's grab some water bottles and some flashlights and let's go."

…

Half an hour later, we'd explored the outcropping of rocks that were deceptively larger than they first appeared from a distance. We hadn't yet found a cave entrance or lava tube, but I felt in my gut it was here somewhere. We'd just climbed down the far side of the rocks on the jungle side when Jazz nudged my arm and gestured into the green mass of foliage.

I couldn't see anything for long seconds, passing over the place Jasper indicate twice before my eyes focused on the item hidden in a tangle of vines.

It was another totem pole. This one had toppled over and was resting in the high V formed by two trees rooted closely together as they crossed each other growing in opposing directions. Catching sight of Larry sitting happily on the beach counting the shells he'd collected, I gestured for Jasper to come with me and we walked the few yards forward to inspect the idol. It was well weathered, but surprisingly still intact considering it must have fallen hard against the two larger trees.

"Do you think it contains more gold?" I asked Jasper as we crouched down to look at the base.

He ran his hands up the back of the totem and around the base, feeling for openings. "Probably, but it doesn't seem to have rotted like the other one we found on Thanksgiving."

"At least Jimmy didn't find it, or if he did, he ignored it as nothing more than junk," I remarked as I stood up. "I'm gonna make a quick sketch of the idol for Bella," I said, as I pulled the small notebook and pencil I had taken to carrying from my back pocket. Jogging back to the outcropping of rocks, I climbed half way up, hoping I'd be able to see better if I was a little higher above the idol.

Ten minutes later, I had a pretty decent sketch completed and Jasper had joined me with an excited expression on his face.

"I found the join in the wood where the opening is. It's well concealed though. It's remarkable really, given the wood-working tools available in the early 1700's."

I nodded. "Okay. That's three idols we've found. Two of them we're certain contain gold and the first one Bella found we're not sure about yet. I wonder how many more there are?"

Jasper shrugged. "Let's find this cave, Edward. It's nearly 2 o'clock and we need to leave in about an hour if we want to make it home before nightfall. I don't like the look of the sky either," he said worriedly as he looked up. Dark clouds were rolling in from the north. "It looks like bad weather heading our way."

Placing two fingers into my mouth, I let fly with a shrill whistle in Larry's direction.

"LARRY!"

He looked up, staring in our direction. "YEAH?"

"COME ON OVER HERE."

"OKAY, MR RED," he yelled back. I watched as he clambered upright from his seat on the sand, shoving the collection of shells into his pants pockets.

Twenty minutes later – and not a moment too soon from the looks of the boiling black clouds – we hit pay-dirt A narrow cave entrance was hidden behind a large rock that jutted sideways. I would have missed it, had I not knelt down to tie a loose shoe lace.

"Found it," I crowed, as I pointed it out to Jasper.

As I stood up, a gust of cold wind blew up the beach and swirled around the rocks we were standing on. We all three of us looked in the direction of what we now knew was a storm and not the usual rain shower.

Larry shivered and hugged himself in his short sleeved t-shirt as the wind flattened the fabric against his skin.

"Ten minutes, Edward," warned Jasper. "That's it. If we don't leave then, we won't be able to leave until tomorrow, because that storm is less than an hour away."

I nodded in agreement. I had no intentions of spending the night here away from my Bella while she was still recovering from her gunshot wound. I missed her terribly. She was always in the back of my mind even if I didn't outwardly show it – a consequence of my military training to always concentrate on the task at hand and not what was happening elsewhere.

"Let's go. Stick close to us, Larry, we don't have time for you to get lost or injured," I said dryly, as I turned on the flashlight I held. Jasper turned his own light on and I led the way through the narrow opening.

Immediately upon entering the small dank cave, my flashlight showcased the extra supplies stacked haphazardly against the far wall. We'd hit the jackpot.

Jasper's light joined mine as we inspected the cache, which included a full jerrycan of fuel, two scuba air tanks (both full), a wet suit and some snorkeling equipment, as well as another automatic rifle with half a dozen ammo clips, and a wooden crate. Stepping over to it, I pried the lid off. I didn't know whether to grin ecstatically or shudder with dread as to what Jimmy had planned to do with it. I picked up one of the many sticks in the box.

"What is it?" Jasper asked me, as I turned around to face him.

I held it up in the beam of Jazz's flashlight.

"Dynamite – high-grade military dynamite, to be precise," I said softly.

"Fucking hell!" Jasper gasped. "Where the _hell_ did Jimmy get military grade dynamite from?"

"That's a good question?" I said. "Larry?"

"Yeah, Mr Red?" he said from right beside me, making me start. Geez, he could move quietly when he wanted to. I hadn't even noticed him sidling up to me.

"Do you know where Jimmy got this from?" I asked him, as I held the stick up.

"What is it?" Larry leaned forward and squinted at the 8 inch long stick.

"Never mind what it is. Do you know _where_ Jimmy got it from?" I repeated firmly. I knew my eyes were glinting dangerously in the dim light.

He shook his head emphatically. "I ain't never seen that stick b'fore, Mr Red."

I sighed in disappointment, not because I didn't know _where_ it came from, but because I wanted to know _who_ sold it to Jimmy. This cache of explosives belonged to the US military. It was stamped all over it.

I tossed the stick back in the box. Jasper gasped and ducked, making me chuckle.

"It's fine, Jazz. Chill will ya. It's inert at the moment and this stuff is very stable." Closing up the box, I laid the automatic rifle on top along with the box of clips and then picked it up. "Bring those scuba tanks, Larry," I said, preparing to leave.

He jumped to do my bidding, while Jasper picked up the jerrycan of fuel, and tucked the wet suit and the snorkeling gear between his arm and his body so he could shine the flashlight toward the cave exit. As he swung around, I noticed another narrow crack in the back wall of the cave.

"Hang on a minute, Jasper."

He turned around. "What's up?"

"Can you shine your light over there?" I asked, inclining my head toward the spot where I'd seen the fissure.

"It looks like an entrance to another cave," Jasper remarked.

"Yeah. I think so as well. Do we have time to have a quick look before we leave?"

Jasper rolled his eyes, but obligingly dropped the scuba gear and sat the fuel can on the sand so he could check his watch. "Five minutes, Edward!" he bade me sternly. "That's it and then we have to leave."

I put my load down and headed over to the fissure, turning my flashlight on again. "You two wait here."

"Take a load off," I heard Jasper tell Larry as I turned my body side ways to slither through the space, which was narrow at no more than 12 inches wide in some places, but which was at least 6 feet long. When I exited at the other end, I was indeed in another cave – one that was smaller than the first one. As I swung the arc of the light around the smaller cave, I wasn't entirely unsurprised by what I found. I figured that if the gold was still here, then they'd never been found either.

Leaning my head into the fissure, I called out to Jasper. "Jazz, come in here will you? You'll need to leave Larry out there – I don't think he'll fit through the space."

"What have you found?" he called.

"You'll see. Just come in here."

I heard him tell Larry to stay put, and then less than a minute later my brother was standing beside me staring at what I was staring at.

"How many of them are there?"

I counted with my flashlight as I pointed around the room. "I count 5 skulls."

We both knelt down to inspect the crushed, bleached-white human skulls. The rest of the bones where scattered around the cave amidst strips of ragged clothing, obviously disturbed by various animals over the past 250 years.

"It looks like they were bludgeoned to death," Jasper commented, as he angled his head to get a better view. "Whatever they were hit with, almost certainly killed them instantly. There is no way anyone could have survived the brain injuries they would have sustained."

"It might have been the Polynesians," I said. "Those crush injuries certainly look like something a club might inflict."

"Yeah, maybe," Jasper said noncommittally. He reached down and picked up the skull we'd been looking at, and stood up to head back out.

My mouth dropped open in shock as my brother literally robbed a grave. "What are you planning on doing with that?"

"Take it with us so Dad can study it," he replied blithely.

I quirked a brow and smirked at Jasper's feigned altruism. "Just Dad?"

He shrugged. "Well me too. I want to see if I can match the wound configuration up to any of the Polynesian weapons Bella drew for us."

"Uh huh, thought so. Lead the way, brother. I want to go home."

I followed my brother through the fissure and back into the outer cave. Larry was sitting on the box of dynamite looking at his shells in the glow of the flashlight. He barely acknowledged our return, fascinated as he was by the colors the shells reflected under the yellow light in the dark cavern.

Jasper quietly slipped the skull inside the wet suit before Larry saw it and freaked out. Nudging Larry's shoulder, I indicated he should get up.

"Hey, you back already, Mr Red," he stated. "Can we goes home now?"

"Yes. Put your shells away and grab the oxygen tanks. When we get back to the beach, we'll load up the Zodiac and get going. If you need to shit or piss, you do it before we leave, alright," I reminded him, remembering how we'd had to make for shore this morning fifteen minutes after motoring away because Larry forgot to 'go' before we left.

He nodded and stood up to do my bidding. Jasper and I picked up our own items and we left the cave, clambering down the low side of the rocks to the jungle side of the beach with our unwieldy cargo. As we faced the beach, I noted that the sky was dark with thick clouds tinged olive green, warning of an ugly storm.

The wind was howling around us, whipping up the sand and flaying against our exposed skin and eyes.

"Hurry up!" yelled Jasper as he waved the hand grasping the wet suit toward the boat.

We ran along the beach to where we'd anchored, bypassing the tent, which we hadn't yet packed up. It flapped drunkenly in the wails of wind that skipped up the beach off the water as the leading edge of the storm edged closer. We didn't have time for it anyway if we wanted to beat the storm home, and the tent wasn't that important to our continuing survival in any case.

We waded out into the churning water and loaded the cache into the rolling Zodiac. I climbed aboard as Jasper and Larry ran back to the tent site, Larry scuttling behind a rock to take care of his business as Jasper filled the coolers with whatever he could that hadn't yet blown away.

While I waited for them, I rearranged the supplies in the Zodiac so that they were evenly distributed – we still had the two coolers of food to load and it would take us at least two hours in this weather to traverse the choppy sea in the fully loaded and heavy Zodiac. I planned to at least make sure the ballast would keep us from turning over.

Looking up, I saw Larry struggle to make his way back to Jasper as he walked into the tenacious wind.

"HURRY UP!" I yelled, but my voiced was carried away on the wind unheard by either of them except me.

Jasper directed Larry to pick up one of the coolers as he hefted the other one onto his shoulder and trudged down the beach walking in a zig-zag configuration to lessen the drag of the wind against their bodies. I breathed out in relief when they made it into the water and waded toward me.

A few minutes later, both coolers and the two men were on the Zodiac with me, and we were speeding away from the bay, turning south as we tried to outrun the worst storm I'd seen since the hurricane, which had struck the death knell for Victory four months ago.

I marveled at the power it generated as I looked into the teeth of the storm from my seat at the bow of the boat. The monsoon weather pattern was heading south toward the equator where Asia and Australia were coming into their summer cyclone season. I just hoped it swept over Isabella Island without causing too much damage on its way to its final destination.

Jasper swiveled his upper body to look upon the storm before facing forward, as he guided the boat expertly through the growing waves. His expression was drawn with equal parts stoicism and anxiety. I knew my brother well enough to know that he was inwardly praying that we'd make it back home safely. Silently, I added my own two-cents worth to his soundless prayer, ending mine with a whispered Amen.

The rain started to fall then – heavy drops of water – chilling us to the bone through our thin clothes. Waves of sea water breaking against the side of the Zodiac, sprayed more cold water over us as we labored our way homeward.

I looked upon Larry huddling in the bottom of the Zodiac, hugging his knees to his chest. He looked up at me suddenly with fear darkened eyes, and I smiled at him reassuringly. Opening my man bag, I pulled a rolled up rain coat from its shallow depths and knelt in front of Larry to thread it on to arms and around his body. It wouldn't offer him much protection from the cold, but it would help to keep him dry. Larry was a human being after all – little more than a child really – and he deserved some consolation and attention from the people who'd become his informal carers.

Larry sighed in appreciation and closed his eyes to the fury surrounding us as he bowed his head to hide against his bent knees.

For the first time since joining the Navy, I wished I could do the same.

…

A/N: A few photos are on my blog at jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com

Gasoline or gas as it's called in North America, is known as petrol (from the word petroleum) in many countries including Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In Australia, the term gas means natural gas used for cooking and heating.

Vegemite is a concentrated yeast extract – another Aussie staple fed to kids from infancy, usually on a baby rusk biscuit that's been dipped into the jar. Vegemite is an acquired taste if you haven't been brought up on it, but I love it on my morning toast or as cheese and Vegemite sandwiches for lunch.


	32. Chapter 32 - Stormy Seas

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: This is a short one. I'm working on the next chapter, but I wanted to give you something to tide you over. I haven't had a chance to do a big edit because I'm running out the door in 10 minutes, so please forgive any spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.

…

Chapter 32 – Stormy Seas

With a deep groan of pleasure, I curled my body around Bella's in our bed and willed the bone aching chill from my bones, as I snuggled under the blankets.

The wind and rain howled around the corners of the house, as I reflected on the Zodiac ride from hell. As we'd fled the north side of the island, the storm was nearly upon us. Dark rain clouds billowed behind us, gusts of chilly wind whipped up the wave, buffeting the rubber craft, as we raced to beat the storm home under a blanket of cold, steady rain from the leading edge of the storm.

Jasper and I decided to stay as close to the coast as possible, so we wouldn't get pulled too far out to sea and tear up the rubber boat on the reef. We also determined that if the seas grew too large, we'd have a better chance of making land in a hurry, the closer we were to the beach.

As hard as Jasper pushed the gasoline driven outboard motor, it was a struggle to convey the fully loaded and heavy boat southward in the boiling seas. Larry sat in the middle of the boat with his head buried against his knees and remained – for once – quiet and motionless, save the involuntary sway of his body under the onslaught of the waves, and the occasional shudder of fear and cold that racked his body.

I left him alone for the most part, offering him verbal reassurance only when a particularly large wave rocked the boat causing him to yelp in fright. It was only when we started taking on too much sea and rain water that I had to cajole him into activity. Handing him a plastic coffee mug from the stash of supplies we'd commandeered, and taking one for myself, I indicated that we should begin bailing the water from the bottom of the boat.

The coffee mugs weren't particularly effective at removing all of the water, but we were, at least able to stop the Zodiac from sinking. Under normal circumstances, none of us – not even me – would choose to be sitting ducks, in a small boat, in rough seas, in the middle of what I now knew, was a deep monsoon trough that would probably linger for days as it moved slowly south.

Drawing on my navy training, I remained outwardly calm, even if inside I was swearing like a seasoned sailor instead of an officer with ten years experience. Jasper wore a stoic expression, but his tight mouth and white knuckled grip on the tiller conveyed his own fear and discontent with our current predicament. Jasper kept looking toward the coast and at one point – about an hour into the trip – he waved with his thumb in the direction of the beach as we came upon a small protected bay.

I recognized it from my surveillance of the coastline on the ride north earlier that day. Checking the time, I calculated how much farther we had to travel until we reached the southern beach. In calm waters and fine weather, we were about 30 minutes from home. In the rough seas and stormy conditions, in a heavy boat with a laboring motor, it would take closer to another hour.

"Do you want to make land?" I yelled out to Jasper, figuring his waving thumb a moment ago was a suggestion to get off the water.

"It might be a good idea," he yelled back. "I need to refuel and I'd rather not do it while we're moving." At that very moment, the outboard motor began to wheeze and splutter on its last mouthfuls of fuel.

I nodded my head and Jasper immediately turned the tiller, directing the Zodiac in a wide arc toward the beach of the small bay.

"What's happenin', Mr Red? Are we home?" Larry squeaked from the middle of the boat. He lifted his head to look at me hopefully.

I shook my head. "Not yet, Larry, but we need to refuel, so we're gonna head into shore for a few minutes."

"Oh," he said disappointedly.

The outboard motor spluttered and died before we reached the beach leaving us adrift in the small bay in about five feet of water – I could see the rocks growing out of the sand beneath the gray water that reflected the color of the sky. Jumping overboard up to my neck, I grabbed one of the ropes wrapping the rubber sides at the bow and towed the boat into shore.

"Out you get, Larry," I told him, as Jasper jumped out into knee deep water.

I held the boat still as Larry clambered out. "Hold the other side of the boat steady, Larry, so Jasper can refuel without spilling.

"Okay, Mr Red," he said agreeably, leaning on the boat to hold it as still as possible.

I think he was eager to get moving again even though he didn't want to be in the boat on the sea. From the way he kept looking to the south, I figured he wanted to be at home more than he didn't want to be in the boat. I appreciated the sentiment and I'm pretty sure Jasper felt the same way. But to be clear, I verbalized our options to the other two, as Jasper finished refueling and tightly capped the jerrycan of fuel.

"Listen guys, the storm is getting worse. We need to make a decision about what we're gonna do," I said loudly over the sound of the wind.

Jasper nodded as he wiped rain water from his face and sluiced the dripping hair back from his forehead and eyes.

"We can make camp here – find a safe place to wait out the storm – and start home when the weather stabilizes, or we can keep going. I figure it'll take us another hour provided the weather doesn't worsen before we get there. If we stay here though, we might have to camp for two or three days," I explained.

"The family will go crazy with worry," Jasper said, "if they're not already. They must be as aware of the weather conditions as we are."

"I agree. I think Dad and Emmett will remain calm if we decide to stay. They'll just assume that we camped until it was safe to travel again, but the women will think the worst no matter how much Dad or Emmett reassure them."

"Yeah," sighed Jasper. "I want Alice to know sooner rather than later that I'm okay. She's been doing so well …" he trailed off.

I wanted to get home to Bella desperately, as well. Only two days ago, she'd be shot. The surgery had gone well and physically, she was recovering nicely, but I didn't want her emotional health to suffer while she worried about my fate.

"I wanna go home, Mr Red," piped up Larry. His words were simple but eloquent in that they perfectly described how we all felt.

"Home it is," I declared. "Toilet break anyone?" I questioned before we all loaded up again.

Larry shook his head and Jasper made no move toward the beach proper, so I had my answer.

"Let's go. It's gonna get darker before true nightfall because of the cloud cover." I pulled the portable, battery powered marine spotlight from the cache of supplies and mounted it to the bow of the Zodiac to light the way home.

Climbing into the Zodiac, we drifted for a few yards into deeper water before Jasper dropped the motor and fired it up. Zipping out of the tiny bay that had been a safe haven for ten minutes, Jasper turned us south again.

The last leg of the trip had been harrowing as the rain became heavier, chilling us all to the bone and lashing us with stinging strikes like a thousand sharp needles. The Zodiac bounced around in the waves whipped up by the wind. Thankfully, the larger ridges of water broke up on the wide reef that surrounded the island. Without it, we would surely have capsized. Thunder rumbled loudly overhead as the storm moved perfectly over the island, and lightning arced the sky with electric blue ribbons.

I prayed we were too low in the water for a strike – a sure one-way-ticket to the pearly gates. We all hunched over anyway, keeping our heads down to minimize the projection of our bodies into the empty space around us.

"Fucking hell," Jasper yelled, "this lightning is tremendous."

"I know. I almost think we should have stayed put in that bay," I replied.

"It's too late now," Jasper remarked unnecessarily, "but we need to get off the water – we're sitting ducks."

"I know, but I don't think we'll be any safer on the beach than where we are now," I yelled back over the noise.

"How much longer, do you think?" Jasper asked.

I squinted at my watch. "About another 20 minutes," I yelled over the next crack of lightning followed quickly by the crash of thunder. Seconds later, multiple flashes struck the water around us. How we hadn't become a target, I'll never know, but we must have had divine providence sitting on our shoulders.

At that moment, Larry lifted up his head to look wide-eyed with a mixture of terror and awe at nature's fireworks. Leaping forward, I pushed him back down.

"Keep your head down!" I screamed at him.

I'd just put my own head back down, with my face turned toward the island when a massive arc of lightning struck the highest point of the island – the cone of the volcano. The explosion of sound was deafening.

"Christ almighty," I whispered as I watched the east side of the dead mountain crumble like crushed cookies, as the brittle, narrow rim collapsed under the onslaught of one billion volts of electricity.

"Fuck-bloody!" muttered Jasper, "I didn't know that was possible."

"Neither did I," I said awestruck. "It must have hit the weakest point."

The rumble of noise died away as the debris settled at the base of the mountain, forever changing the landscape of the island and the volcano. A deep U shape appeared in the cone, exposing the sealed plug of the volcano. It was difficult to see the damage in the darkness, but we caught glimpses of the destruction with each subsequent flash of lightning over the mountain.

"What is that, Mr Red? What happen'd," Larry whimpered from his hunched over position. His eyes were as big as saucers as he looked in the direction that Jasper and I were staring.

"Lightning struck the volcano and it exploded," I explained.

"Will Mrs Lady be okay?" Larry asked with deep concern.

My brows shot up in surprise. I didn't know that my mom had become so important to Larry so quickly.

"Yeah, Larry, she'll be fine," answered Jasper when I failed to respond immediately.

Minutes later we were past the gaping scar as we rounded the island and chugged along toward the south side. At least we were a little more protected on the south side. Safety was only minutes away as Jasper turned the Zodiac to enter the large bay where Victory's skeleton weathered the storm from her dry berth on the sand – except it wasn't so dry anymore. The power of the storm was making the water surge up the beach around her hull.

Larry sat up and pointed toward the sand where two lights swung haphazardly in the wind and rain.

"Look!"

I grinned and laugh-sobbed with relief. "I see them, Larry." The lights began moving down the beach toward the water, as we moved closer from the opposite direction.

"It's Dad and Emmett!" I yelled out to Jasper.

"Dad, Emmett!" I called , waving my arms frantically.

"Edward!" Dad yelled worriedly. "Are you all okay?"

"Yes. We're just cold and wet."

"Hey, Emmett, you're a sight for sore eyes," called Jasper happily. He cut the motor and we both jumped out of the zodiac to pull it closer to shore.

"Out you get," I said to Larry as Emmett and Dad waded out to help us pull the boat in.

He hopped out while Jasper lifted the motor out of the water so it wouldn't drag on the sand. The five of us pulled the rubber boat onto the beach. As soon as it was secure, Dad dropped his light and pulled Jazz and I into his arms, hugging us tightly.

"Thank God you're back. Your mother, Bella and Alice are frantic with worry," he told us after a moment of manly bonding. I could see in his eyes, that he'd been worried as well. "I thought you might have camped overnight?"

"We've been fighting this storm for two hours," Jasper told him as I began unloading the boat. "By the time we realized we should have made camp, the lightning was upon us and we were closer to home than not. We decided to keep going," he explained loudly to be heard over the wind.

Dad nodded his head in understanding. "We heard an explosion about 30 minutes ago. Did you hear it?"

"Hear it!" piped up Larry, "We saw it Doctor Pops!"

Dad's eyes widened, as he looked between me and Jasper for an explanation.

"Lightning struck the volcano and it collapsed," I told him. "Part of the eastern rim is gone."

"My God!" Dad gasped.

"Yeah, that pretty much sums up the power. It was an act of God," Jasper said.

Jazz laid the two air tanks onto the sand and reached in for one of the cooler boxes. I reached in for the other one and then handed Larry his pillowcase of treasure and the snorkeling gear.

"Help us carry the Zodiac further up the beach will you?" I asked Dad and Emmett. "We'll come back for it once we get these supplies and artifacts to the house."

…

Our reunion with the women in the family went pretty much as I expected. They were ecstatic to see us. Bella hobbled toward me from her vigilant seat on the sofa as I burst through the front door and into the lounge. I stood dripping like a drowned rat as Bella took stock of my condition, hugging me tightly.

"Thank God, Edward!" she cried. "I was so worried – you've been gone so long and you're hours late. This storm …" she trailed off.

"I'm fine, Bella – we all are. I'm just cold and wet."

We spent the next fifteen minutes being inspected by Mom and answering a jumble of questions about the trip home. Alice was clinging to Jasper like a barnacle on a barge, while Emmett clutched Larry's shoulder in a gesture of acceptance and welcome – he even grinned at him, causing Larry's eyes to widen in surprise.

Eventually, my brothers, Dad and I pulled ourselves away to return to the beach for the Zodiac and the outboard motor. Mom wrung her hands worriedly that we were going back out into the storm, but she braced her shoulders and bustled around Larry instead. She was sending him upstairs for a hot shower while she went into the kitchen to fire up the stove as we walked out the door.

It was good to be home.

…

A/N: Some photographs are on my blog and jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com but not till later today because I don't have time right now.

I researched the power of lightning strikes. I found many references to the types of lightning and their power. Lightning strikes often cause trees to explode as well as transformers and even the odd plane – most notably Pan Am flight 214, a Boeing 707 in 1963. The strike caused the fuel to ignite exploding part of the plane and killing all on board when it crashed. I couldn't find anything that indicated a lightning strike could cause a volcano or mountain to explode, so I made it up – I used some artistic license. Work with me here folks and just assume that it _could_ happen. Anything is possible on our volatile planet – right?

Fuck-bloody (as spoken by Jasper) is a made up word that my friends and I used in Queensland when a dire situation called for more than the simple epithet 'fuck'. Adding the bloody gave it some added weight – well we thought so, anyway.


	33. Chapter 33 - The Week that Was

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

AN: Thanks to everyone who left a guest review to recent chapters. Also thank you to those who left a signed review, but who disallow reply PMs – your comments are appreciated. Sorry for the delay and the shortness of this chapter. I've been really busy and stressed at work and too drained to put much into writing until this weekend. This chapter is mainly commentary from Edward as he brings us up to date on the goings on of the past week. Next chapter moves us forward – I promise. I hope you enjoy.

…

Chapter 33 – The week that was

It rained for a week.

The entire family was thoroughly sick and tired of being house-bound while the monsoon trough made its way slowly south, although the forced captivity gave rise to opportunities for other pursuits.

While the bad weather raged, we lost our TV reception. Both Emmett and Larry sulked for days, their tempers fraying each time they switched on the TV whenever it looked like there might be a break in the weather, only to be confronted by static. Eventually, Rosalie had had enough of the both of them and snarled at them to watch a _stinking_ DVD if they needed to watch the tube so badly.

Their eyes bugged out of their heads, but for totally different reasons. Emmett, because he'd completely forgotten about Victory's extensive DVD library, and Larry, because the library was a boon he'd not expected. They looked at each other and raced for the lounge room intent on having first pick of the movies. Emmett won of course, since he knew where we'd stored the DVD's. Larry pouted, but brightened when Emmett chose the latest Batman movie to watch and slipped it into the machine. Mom worried that the content was too dark for Larry, but she relented when Emmett promised to keep an eye on him.

Dad, Jasper and Bella spent some of their time on anthropological activities, studying the skull that Jasper had retrieved from the north beach. Dad was almost giddy when Jazz pulled the crushed skull from its hiding place in the wet suit and presented it to him. He took the specimen carefully in his large, but gentle hands, asking a plethora of questions about where we'd found it, if there were any other bones and the condition of the burial site. His face fell when Jasper informed him that though we'd found 5 complete skeletons, we'd only brought back one skull.

Dad nodded distractedly when we told him we believed the bodies were those of the pirates who were responsible for bringing the Portuguese gold to the island hidden in the tiki's. He shook the skull gently, listening to the sound of bone fragments sliding around like beads in a maraca. I thought it was slightly macabre, but Dad, Jasper and Bella peered into the skull and started talking about jig-sawing the bone back together so they could map the damage and degree of force used.

To my mind, both were fairly evident and could be summed up in less than 10 words.

Club hits skull.

Skull shatters like clay pigeon.

"Jasper, Bella – I'd like your help with this skull if you wouldn't mind?" Dad asked as he studied the 250 year old injury to the skull. "Your joint knowledge of Polynesian weapons will be invaluable."

They both agreed with sparkling eyes of interest. I shook my head and grinned, as Dad hurried away distractedly to get a head start. At last he had a past-time that would fill his waking hours – at least for a few weeks.

Mom rolled her eyes and resigned herself to days of solitude while her husband engrossed himself in the field of forensics. She turned her attention to making Christmas gifts and tutoring Larry in hygiene practices and table etiquette when he wasn't focused on the television or his hand-held computer game.

Surprisingly, Larry was an apt student and paid close attention to everything Mom said and did. The same couldn't be said for the rest of us, although he tended to mind me and Dad more than he did Jasper or Emmett who tended to be less strict with him. For whatever reason, Larry had latched onto Mom, copying her actions carefully, and grinning like a loon whenever she praised him, which was frequently. Mom believed in positive reinforcement as a method of encouragement. The more she praised him, the harder he tried to please her.

With the onset of the rain, Mom had taken pity on Larry – who'd been ridiculously happy and relieved to see her – and she moved him into the house. He took up residence in the bedroom that would have been Bella's. When the rain stopped for ten short minutes the night of our return, the five of us men hurried out to Larry's hut and brought his bed frame, mattress, bedside table and chair into the house. Mom commandeered his clothes for washing and mending, then retreated to the kitchen oohing and ahhing over the cache of food we'd brought back from the north camp.

With everyone occupied, I focused my attention on Bella, lifting her into my arms to carry her over to the sofa, to get her off her feet … foot. We snuggled into the cushions kissing and caressing each other chastely through our clothes, because the rest of the family were still wandering around the house.

We sat and listened to the rain pounding against the ground and the wind as it howled around the house. It creaked and groaned under the force of the storm, but held fast. Its sturdiness was a testament to Emmett's skill. So far, he'd only found one leak in the roof and that was in the area covering the open lounge upstairs. He shoved a large bucket under the leak until the weather cleared enough so he could fix it.

"Are you warm enough," I whispered as I stared into the crackling fire in the fire place.

Bella cuddled into my chest, stroking my thigh through my navy-issue sweats. "Hmm. I'm fine, Edward. I should be asking you that question. You're the one that spent two hours getting drenched by rain and seawater."

"I'm fine, Baby. The hot shower and Mom's cooking warmed me up inside and out."

"Are you sure, Edward?" she queried, chewing on her lip uneasily. "I was so worried about you. My Dad drowned in a small boat at sea," she reminded me quietly.

Shit! I forgot about that. She must have been frantic.

"Absolutely" I assured her. "I'm US Navy, remember. I spend my life at sea. I'm trained to deal with situations like that and I'm a champion swimmer." I offered her physical reassurance and distraction by nuzzling my way from her temple to her mouth, leading her into a kiss that soothed her.

She absently stroked her hand further up my thigh closer to my groin. I hissed through my teeth at the pleasure she unknowingly elicited, forcibly tamping down my desire for her. I wanted nothing more than to take her to our bed and find succor and warmth in her beautiful body for hours on end. But I couldn't. She was in no condition to be rolling around with 180 pounds of me, not until Dad gave us the all clear.

"What else did you find?" she asked curiously, when we eventually drew apart.

I pulled a damp piece of paper from the breast pocket of my t-shirt and handed it to her. Her face lit up with interest as I told her about the third tiki we'd found, and she eagerly studied the picture I'd hastily drawn her. I knew she'd want to study it in person, but the drawing would have to suffice. I didn't know if or when we'd return to the north, especially since the gas supply we had was limited. Without gasoline fuel for the outboard motor, we'd have to walk there, or use one of the life rafts and paddles.

Grasping her hand that still rested on my thigh, I stroked her fingers lightly, zeroing in on her ring finger while I absently answered her questions. I still hadn't asked her the all important question on my mind and the tentative plans I'd made for a romantic picnic in our grotto were spoiled by (you guessed it) the rain! Not to be outmaneuvered by a sudden weather pattern, I amended my plans and enlisted the help of my mother and Rosalie, who both squealed like girls when I told them what I wanted to do.

…

A week later, Bella and I were once again snuggled together on the sofa in front of the fire. The picnic would now be an intimate dinner and the location would be the upstairs lounge if the rain slackened off, or the downstairs lounge if it didn't. Rosalie and Mom had promised to keep the others occupied during our date, so I could propose to Bella with some semblance of privacy.

For once, Emmett and Larry weren't selfishly squatting in the room to the exclusion of everyone else – I think they were upstairs crafting Christmas gifts with Jasper. I was unable to resist Bella's lips, plumped up by her habitual chewing, and I leaned down again to kiss her mouth gently. The fragrance that was all Bella mixed with the scent of frangipani shampoo wafted into my nose. Inhaling deeply, my mind wandered, thinking about my own gift making – and one very important item that had taken precedence over all others.

Over the past few weeks, all of us had been thinking about our first Christmas on Isabella island, With Larry's inclusion in our family unit, we all had 8 gifts to make. There had been frequent whispers and secret meetings this past week as each of us consulted with other members of the family, enlisting skills we didn't have.

I'd given a great deal of thought to what I wanted to craft for each person, with Bella's gifts being the most intricate. I was happy with my decisions and from the snippets of information I'd deduced, the rest of the family were likewise satisfied with their own. If making 8 gifts in three weeks wasn't challenging enough, we also had birthday gifts to make for Bella who would turn 26 on Christmas Eve.

Mom had eventually gotten the information out of Alice – who'd remained surprisingly tight-lipped about the exact date, under the threat of excruciating pain inflicted by Bella. We quietly planned a dinner and cake to celebrate her special day, making sure none of us let on to Bella that we knew it was her birthday. I was pretty sure she'd be irritated, but none of us really cared. We wanted to celebrate every milestone on Isabella Island, including birthdays, so we wouldn't forget who we were in our isolation.

My gifts required skills I didn't have, so I enlisted the whittling talents of my brother, Emmett, who'd been surprisingly patient with me as he instructed me in the rudimentary skills of the ancient art. He knew what I was making (he had to in order to teach me what I needed to know) but he swore he wouldn't say a word.

As I'd mastered each stage of the process, he would sit with me to instruct me on the next, more intricate part. In fact, I think my project gave him ideas for some of his own gifts, and sometimes he would join me as I whittled, carved and sanded, quietly working away on his own pieces of Koa wood.

One of those companionable times was this morning in the upstairs open lounge while I was putting the finishing touches on the very important piece of jewelery. It was finished now and hidden in a small cloth pouch waiting to make its debut at our date tonight – a date that very nearly didn't happen as I'd planned due to my own stupidity.

I was suddenly very, very nervous and my body twitched anxiously beside Bella as she dozed beside me on the sofa. She snuffled and wriggled in reaction to my violent spasm, and I forced myself to still, so the wouldn't awaken.

When she relaxed back into sleep, my attention returned to my previous thoughts. The delicate item I'd caressed just hours ago wasn't what I would have chosen to give Bella, but my resources were limited. I knew she'd love it though, because I'd made it with my own hands infused with love and devotion.

I was stunned at how quickly I had come to love Princess Isabella Manulani Swan. What stunned me more, was that she said she loved me just as much. Whenever we were alone, her words and actions declared her adoration. At first I worried that it was our circumstances manufacturing feelings of love for each other, but if it had been, my reaction to her shooting would not have been as violent as it was. Even now – more than a week after the event – the thought of Jimmy made my fists clench. I wanted to pummel him into the ground over and over, punishing him for his deeds even though he was already dead.

"She's gonna love it, Ed," Emmett had reassured me softly, as I'd rubbed the ring between my thumb and forefinger.

I'd looked over at Emmett who'd taken a piece of homemade sandpaper to gently rub along the surface of a small box and lid he'd whittled from a large piece of wood. The lid had the beginnings of an intricate relief carving of frangipani branches in bloom. I deduced from the care Emmett was putting into the gift, that it was a jewelry box for his lovely wife, Rosalie.

"I hope so," I'd whispered nervously.

"She will, Edward," he said insistently, as he inclined his head at the ring I held. "It's beautiful. Even if one day, you buy her another ring dripping with gems, she'll always cherish the one you made, because it came first."

I'd relaxed and exhaled a sigh of relief. He was right – I knew he was right. Smiling, I packed up my tools to head downstairs for my secret meeting with Mom and Rosalie.

"I'll see you later, Emmett," I said as I stood up to leave. "I have a conspiracy to execute with Mom and your wife."

"Tonight's the big night, huh?" he chuckled.

"Yeah."

"Bella must be excited to be having a date with you?" he commented. "Do ya think she suspects?"

I froze in place as the huge mistake I'd made stabbed at the frontal lobe of my feeble brain. My heart stuttered and fell into the pit of my stomach, hardening into a solid mass. I felt my blood pressure drop 20 points in a free fall of horror of gargantuan proportions.

_Oh. My. FUCKING. God!_

"Maybe I'll do something like that for Rosalie before the baby's born," Emmett continued.

I just stood there staring into space, barely comprehending my brother's plans to do something similar for his wife. Only one sentence reverberated around my head.

_Bella must be excited to be having a date with you?_

Eventually, Emmett noticed my distraction. He looked upon my white face and shaking body with concern. He stood up to grasp my shoulders so I wouldn't fall flat on my face, not that I deserved his concern.

I was such a fucking idiot. Stupid. Stupid! STUPID!

"Jesus Christ, Edward! What the hell's the matter?" Emmett shouted. He shook me viciously to snap me out of my stupor. "Fucking say something, Edward! You look like your world just ended."

It had.

I'd forgotten to invite Bella on our date.

…


	34. Chapter 34 - The Date

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

AN: Thanks for all of the reviews to chapter 33. Reviewers were awarded a bonus and received the password for a sneak peek at Bella's engagement ring on my blog. Everyone who commented said they liked it. On another note, I've gone over the 500 review mark on Fanfiction, which is phenomenal – thanks to everyone who has helped me achieve this milestone. I'm also at around 413 reviews on TWCS. I'd love it if you'd all help me to reach the 1000 review mark. Now on with the show – the date!

…

Chapter 34 – The Date

I paced nervously up and down the corridor outside our bedroom door where Alice and Rosalie were helping Bella prepare for our date, mainly because (although I'm told that girls depend on these date-bonding rituals) she still wasn't allowed to move around unassisted on her healing leg. It would be another week or so before the leg, with its damaged vein and torn muscles, would be able to support her weight unassisted, without causing further damage.

After that she'd need physical therapy. I'd already applied for the position, under Rosalie and Dad's supervision of course. Rose had been handling the physio on my own arm under Dad's tutelage and I could feel the muscles and tendons in the limb strengthening daily. Rose's pre-pregnancy, athletic prowess and part-time career as a personal trainer made her the perfect candidate. Her primary qualification was in education, and she'd taught at a middle school in an upscale Honolulu suburb, but she loved athletics and she'd worked hard to earn the second qualification. Those skills together with her aptitude for anything mechanical made our Rosalie one very accomplished woman.

I stopped pacing for a moment to lean my ear up against the closed door, in an attempt to detect Bella's state of readiness. Quiet murmurs and girlish giggles were muffled by the solid door, but I thought I heard the sound of a fabric swishing against soft skin as a dress slid over my lovers body.

Leaning away, I swallowed hard and recommenced pacing. There really was nothing else I could do while I waited and I was somewhat calmer if I kept moving. I'd never been so nervous about _anything_ in my entire life. Not even deployment to war torn areas of the globe had left me reeling with anxiety like I was now. Nothing I'd ever done had even came close in comparison, because this was a decision that would change the course of my life _and_ Bella's for the next 60 years.

Both Jasper and Emmett had assured me that nervousness (translation: terror) was completely normal in these situations, no matter how long you'd known your intended. They advised me to just 'chill'.

I tried, I really did, but I just couldn't.

There was always the possibility that Bella would say no, you see.

I barked out a tense laugh and dragged my hands through my lengthening hair, sending the coif I'd worked to hard to achieve into total disarray. I needed another haircut, I thought, as I shook loose bronze strands from my fingers and watched them float to the floor.

For the nth time since I'd been evicted from our room after dressing earlier, I patted the pocket of my dress pants looking for confirmation that the ring had _not_ fallen out of an erstwhile hole only to be lost forever. My anxiety level charged up the richter scale from an earth-shaking 7.0 to an extinction level 10.0 when I couldn't feel the slight bump under my searching palm.

_FUCK! Where is it? It was there 5 minutes ago._

Gulping, I drove the fingers of my left hand into the deep pocket searching for the small pouch that protected the ring I'd made for Bella. My sensitive fingertips hunted every corner, fold and crevice of the fabric in rising panic, until I felt the ribbon at the neck of the tiny bag – it had fallen into the very bottom seam of the pocket. Tugging on it, the ribbon untied as the bag trailed out of my pocket into my hand. Loosening the drawstring opening, I gently shook the ring into my palm and heaved a sigh of relief.

It looked just as beautiful as it had this morning when I realized I'd forgotten to ask Bella out on our date.

…

"_Bella must be excited to be having a date with you?" Emmett had said._

_But, I was such a fucking idiot. Stupid. Stupid! STUPID! I'd forgotten to invite Bella on our date._

_I'd been so busy with the ring and conspiring with my family to plan the perfect proposal for Bella that I'd totally forgotten to ask the most important person to an evening of romance and dancing. I'd planned to tell her the romantic dinner was my way of appreciating her, should she ask why, and she _had_ asked. Thankfully the entire family had kept my secret. The only one's in the dark about the true nature of the date were Bella _and_ Larry, because Larry couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it, and in the past, it had._

_Ripping myself from Emmett's concerned grip, I'd raced downstairs and skidded into the lounge where Bella was working in solitude on her own Christmas gifts for the family. She startled at my hasty arrival, scrambling to cover the work sitting on a small table so I wouldn't see._

"_Oh, Edward, it's just you," she said holding a fist over her furiously beating heart._

_I couldn't help it – I quirked a brow of incredulity at her disinterested greeting. It's just me? Who else would race like a bat-out-of-hell into a room she occupied – Larry?_

"_I thought it was one of the others and I didn't want them to see the gifts I'm making for them," she explained._

_I sat down beside her on the sofa, forgetting my momentary disbelief. "What about my gift?" I pouted._

_She smirked at me knowingly. "Oh, yes, yours is around here somewhere," she'd answered blithely._

_I looked around, checking the floor and the sofa on the other side of her, looking for it. I loved Christmas, and I was known to hunt for my presents well before the 25th of December. My family had learned early on in my childhood to hide their gifts to me from my prying eyes. They'd hidden stuff in strange places over the years, but I nearly always found them. I hadn't specialized in intelligence for nothing – I was good at it, even as a kid. Growing exasperated with my snooping, Mom and Dad eventually rented a small storage locker every December to hide the cache of gifts, only collecting them on Christmas Eve._

"_Don't bother looking, Edward, it's not here and you'll never find it." Bella's laughing reprimand interrupted my musing. _

_I pouted at her boyishly, breaking into a grin. "They warned you about me, huh?"_

"_Yes, _they_ did."_

_I leaned forward to kiss her, sliding my tongue between her teeth and against the tender membranes of her mouth. She moaned and leaned into me so she could deepen the kiss. I was happy to oblige as our tongues gently mated in a dance as old as time, and reminiscent of a different type of movement; one we hadn't indulged in, in more than a week._

_I pulled away from her luscious mouth, a hundred times calmer than I was 5 minutes ago. Bella snuggled against my chest, rubbing her dainty hand over my pectoral muscles, skating over the tight nipples beneath the cloth of my shirt. A shaft of pleasure shot right to my groin and I shifted my hips in response._

"_If you give me clues and I guess, will you tell me what it is?" I asked her slyly, as I continued my nibbling at her lips._

_She huffed in exasperation, pushing me away. "No!"_

_Okay then. "Bella, I'd like to invite you to an evening of dinner and dancing," I said softly._

_Her eyes narrowed as she stared at me suspiciously. "Why? Wining and dining me won't work either," she retorted._

"_I'm absolutely crushed, that you'd think I'd do something so underhanded," I said with feigned sadness. The truth is, I _was_ underhanded enough to do that, but I hadn't thought of it._

"_Hmm, well what's the occasion then," she asked me curiously, an edge of suspicion still ringing in her tone._

_I prepared to lie through my teeth. "Nothing special, Bella. I just want to give you a nice evening and show my appreciation. You've been through so much these past 10 days – I want to take your mind off things." _

_She still looked skeptical of my motives, turning her head to stare at the table full of covered gifts, as though deciding whether my invitation was another tactic to wheedle information from her._

_I hustled to convince her that my altruism for showing her a nice evening had everything to do with her and nothing to do with finagling information about my Christmas gift. "Don't think I don't know about the nightmares you've been having," I told her, an edge of irritation creeping into my voice that she hadn't confessed them to me, so I could help her deal with the aftermath. "I simply want you to have a nice evening so you can replace the nightmares with pleasant dreams," I said gently._

_She bit her lower lip guiltily. "Umm..."_

"_Say yes, Bella, you know you want to."_

_She looked at me hopefully – an evening alone with me was attractive to her. "Well, dinner with you would be lovely, but I can't dance, Edward. I'm not allowed to place any weight on this leg."_

_I grinned happily, as I hugged her tightly. "You let me worry about the dancing segment of our date," I whispered in her ear._

"_A date! Is that what this is?" she asked, pulling back slightly. _

_Cupping her face in my hands, I kissed her pouty lips gently. "Yes, it is," I confirmed when I reluctantly leaned away._

_She smiled as she told me, "You know, Edward, that officially, this is only our second real date."_

_My mouth dropped open. What? No! We've had other dates, I'm sure of it. I counted them off on my fingers as I remembered silently._

_There was the soap-making when we made love in that ramshackle hut while the oil boiled – that was a date, wasn't it? Wasn't it?_

_And then there was the … there was the … well, there was the lava tube when we were trapped, injured and had to be rescued. Um okay, I don't think that counts as a date since Jasper was with us and we'd fallen through a bloody big hole in the floor. Hell, even though we'd joked about the restaurant service while we waited in the cavern, it doesn't count as a date._

_Then there was the overnight trip to the fishing village where we'd found the honeycomb and the goats. Okay, maybe not a date. We were accompanied by three other people, after all. _

_Okay, well then what about all of the trips to the beach we'd taken alone – sometimes we'd had a picnic and gone swimming – yeah, but we inevitably spent half the time collecting food and other supplies, so maybe not them either. But what about our first time at the beach … okay, maybe not that one either. I hadn't exactly asked Bella out – she'd come looking for me._

_A light bulb went off over my head – I know! The grotto – that was a date, I'm sure of it. Yes! We'd been alone for hours. We'd swam and made love, well, we fucked like rabbits really, but yeah, that definitely counts as a date._

_I blew out a breath as Bella sat and watched my silent reminiscence for the past few minutes. Yeah, okay, she was right. It _was_ only our second real date._

_It had to be fucking special. I was proposing to Bella on our second date. Did that make me a fast worker? Probably not. We'd been here for 4 months and we'd been together for 3. I'd simply been remiss in not spending enough romantic time with Bella. Even the grotto date had ended up with us exploring a cave as a potential hiding place from the pirates._

"_I'm sorry," I whimpered softly. "I'll do better in the dating stakes from now on," I promised her._

_She laughed. "It's fine, Edward. It's not like there are places for us to go – and yes, I would love to go to dinner and dancing with you this evening."_

_I blew out a breath of relief. Crisis averted. "Good."_

"_What time will you pick me up?" she asked playfully._

_I reached for her hand and brought it to my lips, bestowing a delicate kiss of appreciation. "I will be by our room to collect you at seven sharp, Ms Swan."_

"_I'll be ready and waiting, Lieutenant Cullen," she said seductively. "I'm looking forward to it."_

…

The sounds of movement toward the closed door shook me from my memories. I hurriedly slipped the ring into its bag and pulled the ribbon closed before shoving it back into my pocket. Reaching my hands up to my head, I frantically tried to adjust my unruly hair, just as the door was wrenched open.

A very pregnant Rosalie stood in the open doorway, blocking my view of the room beyond, as well as my Bella.

"She's ready," she said, with a wink. "Come along, Alice," Rose ordered as she stepped out into the hallway.

Alice scuttled out of the room, grinning like crazy as she pulled the door closed, a sparkle of delight lighting her bright blue eyes.

"Good luck," she whispered as she followed Rose into her and Emmett's room. The family had agreed to stay upstairs until I called on them, hopefully with good news.

Stepping up to the door, I sucked in a deep breath, and knocked rapidly, three times in succession.

"Come in," came Bella's soft voice.

The door swung open with a downward flick of the door handle, presenting Bella sitting elegantly in a chair in the center of the room. She was a vision of loveliness in her pretty white and blue floral sundress, which draped her feminine form under a short-sleeved white summer cardigan. She wore a pair of white ballet flats on her feet, and a short strand of white beads around her neck. Her hair was glossy mahogany, brushed straight down her back, and adorned with white hibiscus tucked behind her ear. Light makeup enhanced the delicate features of her face as she smiled shyly at me.

I stepped slowly toward her, returning her smile with a shy one of my own. "You look absolutely beautiful, Bella – like a princess," I whispered, awestruck, as I held out my hand to her.

She giggled girlishly, placing her hand in mine so I could help her to her feet, placing all of her weight on her healthy leg. As soon as she was standing, the foot of her injured leg tucked up behind her.

"Shall we go to dinner?" I said.

She nodded and I bent to pick her up in my arms. She was half my weight, but even that slight load caused my unbraced arm to twinge slightly in protest. Readjusting Bella to a more comfortable and secure position, I silently thanked Rosalie for her strict attention to my physiotherapy sessions these past 7 days.

"Ready?" I asked, smiling down into her face.

"Yes. No, wait, Edward."

I gasped. Had she changed her mind? _Shit!_ What do I do now?

"I need my bag," she continued, having completely missed my momentary panic while she looked at the small white bag resting on the end of our bed.

I laughed lightly in relief. Calm the fuck down, Edward, I told myself.

"Even on a deserted island, a woman can't leave the house without her handbag," I remarked humorously as I bent down, so Bella could sweep the small bag off the bed and into her lap.

She pouted adorably. "This is a real date, Edward. A girl takes her evening bag with her on a real date – I have it on good authority from Rosalie and Alice."

"My love, who am I to argue with the good authority of my brother's wives. If they say it's so, then it is."

"Are you ready now?"

"Yes. Where are we going?" she asked curiously as we left the room and I headed carefully down the stairs with my precious cargo held securely in my arms.

"Well, Bella, there's a wonderful restaurant close by where the food is delicious, and the music is soft; the service is unobtrusive and the ambiance is cozy with candlelight and a crackling fire."

She smiled. "Hmm, sounds lovely. What's this amazing place called?"

I returned her smile with a grin. "_The Cullen Lounge_. It's five star – only the best for our second date," I told her.

At the bottom of the stairs, my father stepped forward dressed in a lightweight summer suit with a white napkin folded over his arm.

"Mr Cullen, Miss Swan, welcome to _The Cullen Lounge_," my father intoned formally. He was thoroughly in to his role of maître d'. "Please follow me. We have reserved the best table in the house for you this evening."

Bella giggled as we followed my dad into the lounge room. I stopped just inside the entrance and let Bella take in its transformation. I watched her face as she looked around the beautiful room with its flickering candles on every flat surface, the gently crackling fire warming the rain-drenched air, and the multiple arrangements of flowers, which perfumed the room. Soft jazz music played on the stereo and a clothed side table held a selection of hot and cold dishes under covered lids, ready to serve. A small vase of blooms sat in the middle of a square table, which had been laid with white table linen, and then formally set for dinner for two.

"Did you do this?" she whispered, awestruck.

"Yes."

"It's beautiful."

"Anything for you, Bella. You deserve all this and more," I told her sincerely. I walked into the lounge and lowered her into the seat that Dad held out. He winked at me as I stood up and walked around to my own seat.

"Your menu, Miss," Dad said, as he handed a piece of decorated card to her. He poured us each a glass of water and then retreated from the room. His role for the evening was complete, as I would serve the meal.

Bella took the menu and looked at it with amazement, turning it over to study the matted back and then over again to read through the menu. Mom had given me the birthday card she'd bought for me and had never used. I removed the side of the card with the verse and turned the front of the card over, exposing the white card stock. With my pencil, I'd drawn a delicate scroll around the outside edge, then used my best script to write out tonight's menu. Finally I'd glued the card to a small woven mat Alice had made me.

I knew exactly what it said:

_**Appetizers**_

_**A selection of Amuse Bouche**_

_Oysters au naturale_

_Shrimp egg roll_

_Basil scented roasted baby tomato_

_**Starter**_

_Butternut squash soup_

_served with sour crème and goats cheese toast_

_**Entree**_

_Lobster escalopes with buerre blanc_

_served with baby potatoes and fresh moringa beans_

_**Dessert**_

_Tahitian lime bavoir _

_served with coconut tuile, fruit salad and crème chantilly_

_**Refreshments**_

_Clear apple juice_

_Water_

_Tea and Milo_

The Milo was Larry's idea and a late addition to the menu.

He'd insisted.

I didn't argue.

Bella looked across the table through the flickering candlelight. Her warm brown eyes were deep pools of glistening chocolate. I caught my breath when a tear slipped across her cheek as she stared at me with wonderment shining from her face.

"Oh, Edward, this is amazing. All of it, the table, the atmosphere and this menu." She sniffed delicately. "Wow. I can't believe … how?"

Reaching for her free hand resting on the table, I squeezed it gently. "Mom helped me to select the courses and with the cooking, but I did the rest," I confessed shyly.

"Thank you, Edward. No one has ever done anything like this for me," she sobbed.

"Don't thank me too soon," I glibbed to lighten her teariness. "You haven't tried the food yet."

She laughed delightfully. "Well bring it on, Edward. No matter what, I'm gonna love it, because you did this all for me and that makes it special."

I blushed and reached for my glass of water, gulping half of it down in one go. "May – " I squeaked out. Ahem, I cleared my throat to start again. "May I serve your appetizers to you, Bella?"

"Yes, you may, Edward."

I stood up and walked the short distance to the side table. Removing a lid keeping the food warm, I collected two small plates holding the selection of warm Amuse Bouche, adding two oysters in the half-shell to each plate from a dish of ice, and a wedge of trimmed lime. Presenting the plate to her with a flourish, I placed it before her and sat down with my own starter plate.

She leaned forward to sniff delicately at the aromas wafting up from the table.

"Hmm, this smells and looks simply delicious." Picking up her lime, she squeezed it over the oysters and brought a shell to her open mouth. Tipping the shell in her fingers, the oyster slid into her mouth and down her throat in one smooth motion. She moaned in real enjoyment.

I moaned as I watched her, paying close attention to the movement of her throat. I'd never noticed before how sexy the swallowing of oysters could appear to an avid bystander, or in my case a besotted fool in love … and lust.

Shifting on my seat, I beat down little Eddie and ate one of my own oysters, licking the briny-lime laden juices from my fingers as I finished. Bella had paused in mid bite to watch me with lust burning in her own eyes, the slice of omelet wrapped prawn hanging forgotten in nerveless fingers.

"My god, Edward, I want you," she whispered passionately. She shivered as she dropped the egg roll onto her plate and made to stand up.

"What are you doing? Sit down, Bella!"

"But I want to kiss you, Edward," she whined.

Wiping my fingers on my napkin, I reared to my feet and rounded the table in seconds, leaning down to ravage her eager mouth. Her hands came up to clamp onto my hips, scrambling to pull me forward. I gave in to her insistence and moved closer, stepping between her parted knees, pushing the skirt of her dress up her thighs.

"Oh, Bella, the way you sucked down that oyster was so sexy. You are a vixen," I moaned into her moist mouth. She tasted of the ocean.

"Hmm, Edward, the way you licked the juices from your long fingers, made me wish it was mine," she gasped. Her sexy talk made my dick stand to attention. Jesus Christ, if I couldn't have her soon, I'd explode. "You're my vixman," she whispered against my mouth, as her hands ran up and down my thighs, hips and buttocks.

At one point, I thought she found the ring in my pocket, when her thumb coasted over the slight bump and she paused. Reluctantly, I pulled away. I'd planned this evening with precision. She would not make me deviate from the schedule.

Returning to my own seat, I gulped the rest of my water and wiped my brow with the discarded napkin. Bella rearranged herself into her previous lady-like posture and sipped from her own glass.

"Vixman?" I asked her, when I could think again.

She grinned. "Yeah, I couldn't think of the opposite word for vixen, so I made one up."

"I like it – Edward Vixman. Finish your Amuse Bouche, Bella Vixen," I ordered with a smile.

"Yes, sir," she said, as she reached for the forgotten egg roll, peering up at me with flirtatious eyes. Holding a blood-red roasted tomato by its stem, she slipped it between her lips and popped it with her teeth. A little of the red juice squirted over her lips and her tongue slipped out to lick it away.

I groaned inwardly and closed my eyes in supplication as I begged for mercy and control of my baser instincts.

"Stop it, Bella," I hissed.

She grinned. "Spoilsport."

The entire meal, was in a word, a triumph. We finished our appetizers without a repeat of our impromptu pawing, chasing it down with the delicious soup and goats cheese croutons.

Bella enjoyed every mouthful, telling me it was nice to eat a meal that she hadn't played a part in preparing or cooking. A twinge of guilt speared through me that I'd taken advantage of Bella's homemaking skills these past four months – Mom's as well. I knew how to cook – nothing on this scale without assistance – but I could cook. Mom had made sure of it. My brothers and I all knew how to cook the basics. I made a silent pact to prepare a meal for Bella _and_ my Mom more often.

We talked, and talked and talked, about nothing and everything. I told her about my beach house on Oahu and more about the navy, and she told me more about her childhood on Maui and about her grandmother, picking up her life-story from where we'd left off so long ago.

"After my Grandmother passed her Miss Hawaii crown to the 1958 winner, she was snapped up by Aloha airlines as a stewardess flying on DC3's and propeller jet planes for the next 5 years. Her career choice was the third time she'd given her father a heart attack, but by this point he'd resigned himself to the fact that his eldest child was a free spirit. Flying is how she met my grandfather," she elaborated as I listened attentively.

I poured her a glass of clear apple juice and stood up to clear our plates for the entree course. That one was coming from the kitchen where Mom was cooking the food as we spoke. We'd decided she'd jingle a little bell when it was ready, so I could go and get it.

"Was he a pilot?" I asked.

"No," she laughed. "He was a farmer – sugarcane. He was a passenger on her Honolulu to Maui flight where he was going for a conference. They started chatting and he asked her out. They dated for two years, getting together whenever they were in the same city, before getting married in 1965. Gran had to give up working then, because married women weren't allowed to work as stewardesses. My dad was born two years later in 1967."

"He was Italian, wasn't he – your grandfather?" I said, as I idly stroked her hand resting on the table.

"Yes. He came to Hawaii from Italy as a teenager. My great-grandfather wasn't too keen on his daughter marrying an Italian – he wanted her to marry her Hawaiian second cousin, but she refused outright. They didn't speak for months until just before her wedding, when my great-grandmother, convinced her husband to put aside his animosity if he didn't want to loose his daughter for ever."

"Was that the forth shock she gave him – marrying an Italian immigrant sugarcane farmer?" I asked Bella with amusement.

She grinned. "Yes. He missed most of her later exploits because he died in 1971, from, ironically, a heart attack – nothing to do with grandmother though," she clarified.

Just then, Mom jingled the bell.

"Excuse for a moment, Bella, while I bring in our entree." I stood to move away, but paused and went back to bestow a quick kiss on her upturned mouth.

"Back in a jiffy," I said, and hurried from the room.

…

"How's it going?" Mom whispered as I met her at the kitchen door from the dining room.

I sighed. "Perfect. She loves the food. Having a date was the best thing I could have ever done for her. We've talked non-stop," I shared.

"When's the big proposal?" she asked me as she held out two hot plates of food.

"After dessert."

She grinned and silently cheered. "Hold the plate where the napkin folds over the rim, Edward. It will protect your hands from the heat."

I nodded and did as she bade. "Wish me luck."

"Always. I'm going to clean up a little, then head up stairs. Dessert is in the fridge. All you need to do is place each glass on the plates I've left out for you, and the tea kettle is on a gentle heat. Don't let it boil dry."

"I won't," I promised, leaning forward to peck her cheek. "Thanks, Mom."

"Anytime, Edward. Go get her."

…

"I hope you're still hungry, Bella, because this lobster looks and smells wonderful."

"Yes, I'm quite hungry. The two previous courses were just enough to sate my appetite, but not enough to fill me up." She waved her hand over her plate, wafting the sweet scent of lobster up and into her nose. "Hmm, ambrosia," she moaned.

"Good." I held the carafe of apple juice aloft. "More juice, my love?" I offered.

"Please."

I refilled both our glasses then picked up my glass to propose a toast to the gorgeous woman across from me."

"To you, Bella. Without you in my life, I'd be an empty vessel. You are so precious to me – I don't think you know just how much. I never knew how deeply I could love another person, before I met you. Thank you for loving me, Bella."

"Oh, Edward," Bella sobbed into her napkin.

"Don't cry my love. I hate it when you cry," I pleaded with her. "You'll ruin your makeup," I cajoled, hoping that would make her stop.

"I can't help it, Edward," she wailed. "This entire evening is like something out of a dream. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were –" She left her sentence unfinished.

"What?" I asked curiously.

She shook her head and picked up her silverware. "Nothing. It's too surreal to even consider it." I studied her as she cut a tender piece of lobster, swirled it in the butter sauce, and then popped it into her mouth. Her eyes closed as an expression of ecstasy transformed her face.

"Oh, my god, that's sublime," she moaned. I had yet to take a bite, enraptured as I was by her total enjoyment of the food. "You have to try some, Edward!" she demanded, as she cut another piece of the white flesh, swirled it in butter and then reached across the table with the loaded fork to feed me.

I captured the lobster on her fork, closing my lips over the tines to suck the succulent morsel into my mouth. I chewed and swallowed obediently, but I can honestly say that I had no idea what it tasted like, because my entire concentration was centered on the woman sitting opposite me. I was so entranced that I nearly blurted out my proposal, as she forked a second mouthful of lobster into her mouth.

I squeaked out her name. She gazed at me curiously, but at the last moment, I caught myself and stuck to the plan. Shaking my head, I said it was nothing and forced myself to eat my own meal while we talked about our plans to celebrate Christmas. Bella wanted to have a luau if the weather was fine, with roasted piglet, seafood and hula dancing. I thought it sounded like fun and I told her so.

"That was delicious," Bella complimented as she placed her silverware across her plate, signaling that she was finished with her meal. Her plate was entirely empty, save one lone moringa bean. She dabbed at her mouth with the napkin, leaving a sheen of melted butter coating her kissable lips.

"How did you manage oysters and lobster in this weather, Edward? When did you go fishing – I never noticed you missing for any length of time."

"Ahm, Jasper and I went early this morning, when the weather broke for a while. You were napping after breakfast."

"Well I appreciate both your efforts in braving the foul weather for my dinner." She smiled and took a sip of her juice. "Did the rest of the family eat like this tonight?"

I cleared my throat. "Ah, no, I think they had seafood stew."

Standing up, I cleared our plates to the sideboard, and picked up the stereo remote to change the music to a selection of piano music we could slow dance to. Turning back to Bella, I held out my hand in invitation.

"Will you dance with me, Miss Swan?"

She blushed and smiled. "Yes, I will."

I helped her to stand, placing my hands around her waist. "Do you trust me?" I asked her.

"Of course." She hadn't even paused in making her answer.

"Hold on to me," I said. She did, and I lifted her up and placed the foot of her uninjured leg on my opposite foot, then gathered her body against my own until she relaxed against my chest. You can rest your other foot on mine, if you want to," I whispered, "I've got you."

She did, turning her face against my chest and tucking her head under my chin as she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck to support her weight. Slowly, I began to turn us around as we swayed to the gentle piano music.

I hummed gently in tune with the music. Bella sighed and plastered herself closer to me, if that was even possible, relaxing her body against mine with complete faith that I wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"I'm not too heavy am I," Bella whispered into my chest.

I smirked. "No baby, you weigh less than nothing. I could carry you like this for hours without tiring."

"Good."

"Just relax. We'll hold each other and sway like this for a while."

"Hmm, I had a wonderful time tonight, Edward. This was the best date, ever."

"Thank you, my love. I wanted to do something special for you. I think Emmett is planning a similar surprise for Rose," I told her secretively.

"My lips are sealed," she agreed.

We danced together for another three musical numbers, before Bella began to fidget and I felt she was uncomfortable.

"Are you in pain, Bella?"

Her head tilted back and up to look at me apologetically. "Yes, a little. I'm sorry, Edward. I would stay like this for hours if I could, but my leg is beginning to ache."

In response, I lifted her up, holding her a few inches off the ground. "Slide your arms around my neck, love." She did and I picked her up bridal style and walked the few steps to the sofa where I deposited her gently on the squashy cushions. I brushed my lips against her mouth as I leaned back.

"Rest here for a minute while I bring our dessert. Would you like tea or Milo?"

"Yes, I noticed the Milo on the menu. Was that Larry's contribution?"

I sighed. "Yes, when he found out I was planning a date for you, he insisted I add it to the menu. I think he wanted to contribute something, since everyone else helped out in some way or another."

"Well I that case, I think I'd like Milo, please. Do you know how to make it?" she asked.

"Yes," I half growled. "Larry demonstrated his patented Milo making technique and gave me very explicit instructions. I had to repeat them back to him three times before he was satisfied I knew what I was doing."

I must have scowled, because Bella giggled.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," I assured her. "Just relax."

…

While I was in the kitchen heating the milk for Bella's Milo in the microwave, I pulled the ring bag from my pocket and slid the ring into the palm of my hand. It really was beautiful and I knew in my gut that Bella would love it. As the microwave dinged, I brought the ring to my lips and kissed it before sliding it back into my pocket ready to present to her. I left the little pouch on the kitchen island.

Moving quickly, I placed Bella's warm Milo, my tea and our dessert of lime mousse with french biscuits onto a service tray, together with a small bowl of cut fruit to cut the richness. I'd reached the dining room, when I remembered I left the tea kettle on the stove and I had to dash back to remove it. Mom would kill me if I ruined it.

Bella was dozing on the sofa when I returned. I'd only been gone for five minutes, so I figured the evening must have exhausted her more than I realized. Placing the service tray on the ottoman, I sat down beside her and gather her into my arms. She roused as I moved her and yawned widely.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Edward."

"Don't apologize, my love. You're still recovering from a very serious wound. You're allowed to be tired."

"Hmm, I know, but yawning in front of your date is usually not a good sign."

I just laughed. "Will it make you feel better if I yawn as well?"

"Yes," she said seriously, yawning again.

I didn't need to force myself to copy her. Yawning was contagious. Seconds later, I joined her and we collapsed against each other, laughing and yawning.

"Is that our dessert?" she asked, following a few moments of calmness while we caught our breath.

I leaned forward for the plate holding a martini glass of pale green clouds topped with a small swirl of whipped cream. "Would you like some fruit salad?"

"Yes, please," she answered eagerly.

I spooned some onto the side of the plate and added a tuile, handing the rich and decorative concoction to Bella who took it from me covetously. She dipped her spoon into the dessert and brought it to her mouth, making little noises of delight as she tasted and swallowed.

"Where's yours?" she said, noticing that only one dessert glass was on the tray.

"I thought we could share," I whispered seductively.

Her eyes sparkled enticingly. "What if I don't want to," she countered mischievously. "I love mousse. Maybe I want one all to myself."

"Then, I'll have to come over there and take it from you, you greedy girl," I threatened. I moved closer to her on the sofa, reaching out with my hand to reclaim the dessert.

Dipping the spoon into the glass, I scooped out a large portion and wrapped my lips around the bowl, turning the implement over in my mouth to lick away every molecule. Bella's lips parted and her eyes smouldered, becoming drowsily hooded, as she watched my sensual tasting.

She swallowed and gasped softly as her banked arousal flared to life once again. I smirked triumphantly.

"Do you want more?"

She nodded slowly.

I repeated the tasting gesture, wickedly tonguing the spoon – I hadn't clarified what 'more' was – until she fell back against the sofa cushions in a boneless puddle of lust. Smiling, I dipped the spoon for a third time, but this time I brought the implement to nudge against her parted lips. They parted and I slipped the spoon inside her mouth. Her lips clamped down on it and she wouldn't give it back until she'd consumed every, creamy, tangy bit.

"How do you feel about sharing now?" I whispered to her, as I fed her the last mouthful.

"Love it," she moaned breathlessly. "I'll share with you any time. I can't imagine sharing myself with anyone else, ever."

I thought my head might explode with the joy I was feeling. Without giving it another thought, I placed the empty glass on the ottoman and dropped to one knee in front of her. Reaching out, I took her hands in mine and looked into her eyes.

"Bella, you are so beautiful, inside and out. I can't imagine sharing my life with any other woman, but you. I don't have the words to tell you how much I love and adore you, so I'll show you instead.

She stared at me wide-eyed, still and silent.

Sliding my left hand away from our joined hands, I reached into my pocket. "Princess Isabella Manulani Swan, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Marry me, Bella," I whispered.

I presented the ring to her. She swallowed and lowered her eyes to study the ring I held between my fingers. She stared at it for so long without answering, I was filled with dread that her answer was no. I moved to climb to my feet, when a barely whispered word left Bella's lips.

What? My eyes entreated her to say it again and she didn't disappoint.

"Yes. Yes! YES!" she yelled as she launched herself into my arms nearly tumbling us both to the floor. "Yes! Edward Cullen, of course I'll marry you. I love you so much."

Tears were streaming from Bella's eyes. Her hands cupped my face and she covered it with kisses, leaving no spot untouched.

"Do you want your ring?" I asked her laughingly.

She pulled back. "YES!" she squealed.

"Hold out your hand." She did and I slipped the polished koa wood band with its crown of raw bright green peridot on to the third finger of her left hand. She was mine. Mine!

"Oh, Edward, I love it. You couldn't have chosen a better ring for me," she said as she admired jewelry on her hand. "How, _when_ did you do this?"

"This past week. Emmett showed me how to carve and polish the band and Alice donated the crown of her lone diamond earring for the gem stone. I found the peridot gem on one of my treks along the beaches when I was looking for lava rocks."

"Thank you, Edward, it means more than you can know, that you made this for me. As soon as we get home, we're getting married."

I stiffened and she looked at me funny. "Um, don't you want to –"

"No! I mean yes, of course I _want_ to marry you, but I want to do it here on the island, as soon as possible."

She shook her head. "Edward, we can't –"

I interrupted her, hurriedly explaining what I wanted to do. "I know it won't be a legal marriage, but I'd like us to have a commitment ceremony. We might be here for a long time, and I don't want to wait until we get back to Hawaii."

She wore an uncertain expression. "I, um, I always expected that my grandmother would be at my wedding," she said softly.

I felt for her. She had no immediate family here on the island to attend her on her special day. "My love, we can have a marriage ceremony on the anniversary of our commitment day when we get home. All of your relatives can attend and we'll have a wedding befitting a royal bride."

"That doesn't matter to me, Edward," she huffed. "I could care less about the royal pomp and ceremony, although my grandmother and our people would expect some of our traditions to be upheld; it's my grandmothers presence that I'll crave."

I decided then and there to wait if that's what she really wanted and I told her so. She'd engaged herself to me and that would have to be commitment enough, if waiting to become legally one together, would make Bella happy.

She stared into my earnest face and eyes. "You'd really do that? You'd wait, if that's what I want?"

"Yes," I told her emphatically, though I killed me to say it.

"Thank you, Edward."

My heart fell, but I hid my disappointment from her.

"It would be my honor to commit myself to you – here – on Isabella Island in the presence of your family."

I whooped with joy (I couldn't help it). Leaping to my feet, I lifted her up and swung her around and around until we were both dizzy and laughing giddily.

"She said YES," I yelled to the house.

"Woo hoo!" came the collective cheers from upstairs.

Bella Swan would soon become Bella Cullen and I couldn't wait for the day to arrive.

…

AN: A few photos are on my blog at jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com

So there it is. I hope you liked it. Next up, Alice goes into full party-planning mode for the commitment ceremony and we celebrate Christmas.

Bella's outfit: The shoes and dress belong to Bella; the bag belongs to Rosalie, the cardigan to Alice and the beads to Esme. The white hibiscus Bella wears in her hair, is a native Hawaiian hibiscus that blooms throughout the year, albeit sporadically throughout the cooler winter months.

For those of you who aren't familiar with french cooking terms: Amuse bouche, roughly translated means an amusing mouthful; ergo one mouthful of food; oysters au naturale means natural or raw (I hate them with a passion having had food poisoning from them as a kid). Buerre blanc is basically an enriched wine and butter sauce, sometimes with the addition of citrus such as lemon (we'll use lime). Creme chantilly is whipped cream, a bavoir is a fancy french term for a mousse and a tuile is a crisp curled biscuit no more that a few millimeters thick. Oh, and the term entree is the starter in Australia and other other countries. We call the entree the 'main course'. For the purposes of the dinner menu, you should assume that some pantry ingredients such as vinegar and wine were salvaged from Victory. Eventually, they'll run out, but not yet.


	35. Chapter 35 - Celebrations of Love

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: I really **wanted **to give you some answers this chapter about the contents of the small captain's chest, the old ship painting, the skulls etc as well as celebrate Christmas, but it all got away from me. I have started chapter 36 which **will** include some answers or new theories, as well as Vivi's current status, Bella's recovery and the Christmas celebrations. If all goes to plan, chapter 36 will be posted this weekend.

…

Chapter 35 – Celebrations of Love

"Wake up, Bella," I whispered in her ear, as she lay sleeping in our bed. "It's Christmas day."

She roused slightly and mumbled incomprehensibly before pushing my face away with her hand. My fiancee of two weeks did _not_ like to be woken up. I chuckled quietly and nuzzled her neck persistently.

"Eehhhmmm," she whined sleepily and opened bleary eyes to squint into the early morning dimness. "For fucks sake, Edward, it's not even daylight yet!" she hissed at me, yanking the covers over her head.

"But I want to open presents," I wheedled, as I spooned her in the large bed and stroked her healing leg.

"_After_ breakfast, Edward," she retorted firmly, but belying her irritation by snuggling back against me. "You know what Esme said last night – no presents until after breakfast."

"Hm, but if we start breakfast now, we'll get to the presents so much sooner," I cajoled, sucking gently at the pulse in her neck. "Please, Bella, pleeease."

I'm pretty sure I broke her, because she flung the covers back and sat up to glare at me with a pointed finger of admonition. "You are _such_ a baby –" she spat.

"Edward Anthony Cullen!" yelled my mother from her bedroom at the end of the hall. I cringed at her tone. "If you don't keep quiet and wait until sunrise, there won't be any presents until _after_ lunch! Am I clear?"

Bella smirked at me triumphantly and flopped back against the pillows.

"Edward!"

"Yes, ma'am," I mumbled.

"What?" Mom demanded sharply.

"Yes, ma'am," I responded loudly.

As I laid down, I heard both Emmett and Larry snigger at my expense from their own bedrooms.

"Way to go, Edward," crowed Emmett. "Every year, it's the same with you. You'll never learn, will ya? 29 years old and you still behave like a kid on Christmas day."

"Bugger off, Emmett," I hissed, thumping the bamboo support post behind our bed that separated the two bedrooms.

Bella rolled onto her side and snickered into her pillow.

I scowled, lying rigidly on my back with my arms crossed angrily over my chest, and counted down the minutes until sunrise. According to my watch, it would be about 30 minutes. As Bella fell back into a light doze, I ruminated over the events of the past two weeks since Bella had agreed to marry me.

…

The morning following our engagement, the family was admiring Bella's engagement ring over breakfast. They all agreed it was beautiful and Bella loved it, admiring the green gem on its koa wood band at every opportunity. I was immeasurably proud of my achievement, but I know it would not have been possible without Emmett's help and Alice's donated earring.

Mom was holding Bella's hand as she admired the natural ring. We all watched as the raw gem sparkled in the morning light flooding through the dining room window.

"Oh, it's just beautiful, Bella," Mom gushed from her seat beside Bella. Dad stood behind his wife, beaming at my beautiful fiancee. "Oh, come here, you sweet girl," she entreated, as she gathered Bella into her arms, kissing both cheeks in congratulations. "Welcome to the family, sweetheart." A grin of overwhelming delight split Mom's face from ear to ear.

"Yes, Bella, welcome to the family," seconded Dad, as he leaned down to kiss the crown of Bella's head. "We couldn't have chosen a girl more suited to Edward if we'd searched for a hundred years."

Bella blushed shyly. "Thanks, Esme, Carlisle."

Jasper and Emmett looked on fondly and offered me their own congratulations and best wishes to the bride-to-be. They clapped my shoulder affectionately whilst Mom and their wives fluttered around Bella.

"Welcome to the hen-pecked club," whispered Emmett. "Life as you know it will _never_ be the same," he added sorrowfully, clapping his chest with a meaty fist of regret. Jasper sniggered, but nodded affirmatively.

Rose shot us a glare of reproach, as her husband's not-so-quiet words reached her ears. She narrowed her eyes dangerously at her stupid spouse. He paled, falling over his words as he hurried to correct the grievous error of speaking within earshot of his wife.

"Only joking, Rosebush." He let loose a nervous laugh that sounded more like a squeak of fright. "You know me, baby, half of everything out of my mouth is crap."

Rose growled. "Yes, I _know_," she replied dryly, "but you usually _say_ what you think, Emmett, even when you don't stop to think before you speak."

Emmett gasped. "No, Rosie, I was just teasing Edward," he rushed to explain. "I don't think I'm hen-pecked – not at all."

Rose frowned deeply and glared with narrowed eyes at her husband, who should have stopped digging his own grave three sentences ago. Jasper rolled his eyes and me and shook his head.

"We'll talk later," snarled Rosalie. Emmett gulped and nodded his head agreeably. His shoulders slumped and he threw himself into a chair beside Larry who was eating his breakfast.

"You're an idiot," Larry remarked perceptively between mouthfuls.

Jasper and I guffawed.

I didn't think Larry had been paying such close attention, but he apparently absorbed more than we gave him credit. His assessment of Emmett was uncanny. I vowed _not_ to emulate my eldest brother.

Jasper and I returned to our seats at the table beside our partners. Alice bounced excitedly in her chair opposite Bella. I could almost see the details forming in her head as she planned the perfect island wedding.

"Rose, we have so much to _do_," Alice squealed. She began ticking items off on her fingers. "We have a dress and a cake to make, flower arrangements and bouquets and we need rings! We need to choose a venue, decide on the menu and decorations ..."

_A venue?_

I shot her husband a WTF expression. He just shrugged - he wasn't about to argue with his wife after Emmett's run-in with Rose just moments earlier. Where did Alice think the celebration would be held? It's not like we could book the Monarch Room at the Royal Hawaiian for the reception.

I was about to say something, when Bella interjected quietly. She reached across the table and grasped Alice's frantically waving hand in her own. "Alice, calm down. The celebration will be held here at the house. The dress will be something from our collective wardrobes; the flowers are easy – we're surrounded by tropical blooms, and I'll make the cake," she said.

"Oh, no you won't," disagreed Mom. "I'll be making the meal _and_ the cake."

Rose spoke up. "I'll take care of the flowers, bouquets and decorations," she offered.

Alice squealed piercingly in delight sending arrows of pain through my eardrums – she was like Tinkerbell overdosing on fairy dust. "I'll design and make your dress," she stated, wagging her index finger at Bella. "No arguments."

Bella backed off with hands raised in surrender.

"What will you make it from, Alice?" asked Mom perplexedly.

"I don't know yet, but I'll think of something. You just leave it to me," she ordered. Her eyes were bright and wild with the idea's swirling around her head. She was the happiest I'd seen her in months.

"Jasper and I will build something for the ceremony – an arch or a gazebo or something," Emmett pledged. Jasper agreed with a 'yep'.

"I'll help ya's," proffered Larry happily. He was swept up in the happiness whirling around the table.

Bella leaned back into my cuddle as our family rallied to make our wedding as beautiful and meaningful as possible. I heard her sniff. Turning her face toward me, I wiped the tears that slipped from her eyes and down her cheeks.

"What's wrong, Bella?" I whispered worriedly.

She flung her arms around my neck. "Nothing," she wailed. "I'm just so happy. I never expected this."

"Why not?" I asked her. "Just because we're not in Hawaii, doesn't mean we can't make our commitment to each other special, romantic and beautiful." Speaking of which – "Dad, Bella and I spoke last night. We'd like you to officiate at our commitment ceremony. Um, we know it won't be legal, but …"

Bella turned around in my arms, wiping her eyes. "Yes, Carlisle, we'd be honored. Please say yes?" she implored.

Dad swallowed and spoke with a husky voice as he swiped at a few of his own tears. "Son, Bella, I'd be honored to officiate. Thank you both for asking me." Mom beamed at us and mouthed 'thank you'.

The wedding plans progressed rapidly following that morning, though they were still very much in the, well – the planning stage. Bella and I set the ceremony date for the 25th of January – a mere six weeks away. After making the crucial decision of _when_, we were more than happy to leave the actual _how_ to Admiral Alice.

The only thing I needed to worry about was what to use for wedding rings. I thought I would either make two Koa wood bands to match Bella's engagement ring, or melt down a few of the Portuguese gold coins to fashion into bands. I thought either choice would be beautiful, with the gold rings being the more complicated option. I resolved to discuss it with Bella and we'd barely decided on our preferred choice a few days later, when Mom and Dad pulled us aside and offered their 25th wedding anniversary rings.

To say that Bella and I were stunned, honored and overwhelmed by their generosity was an understatement. Neither of us had ever expected my parents to offer us such a meaningful and important testament to their successful marriage.

Bella spoke up, while I blinked stupidly at my parents trying to think of an appropriate response.

"Oh, Esme, Carlisle, I-I don't know what to say," Bella whispered.

"Just say yes," my mom replied from her place beside Bella on the sofa. She took Bella's hand between her own and stared at Bella intently.

_No pressure much, Mom!_

"Now, Maisy, the kids may want to go with a different option," Dad chided gently. "They might want to make their own wedding bands."

Mom blinked in surprise and disappointment. It was obvious the idea had never occurred to her, despite the fact that I'd made Bella's engagement ring.

I coughed. "Ahm, well we have been considering what we could use for rings. We were thinking either Koa wood bands or gold bands made from some of the Portuguese gold coins."

"Oh. Um, I never thought of the gold coins," Mom said softly. "They'd be a beautiful connection to this island," she agreed.

"Mom, Dad, would you mind terribly if we think about it and let you know our decision in a few weeks."

Mom's face fell. I could see she was hoping for a decision from us, _right_ now.

Bella saved the day once again – or I thought she had. I just didn't anticipate my mother's uncustomary reaction.

"Esme, your loving generosity means the world to both of us. We can't tell you how much your offer means to us, but those anniversary rings are special. They celebrate the longevity of your marriage. I-I don't know if either of us would feel right about accepting them when we have other options," she whispered entreatingly.

Mom's mouth wobbled and she pulled her hands away from Bella's to clutch them in her lap, wringing them nervously. "It's not like we don't still have our wedding rings," Mom retorted sharply.

Bella winced, believing she'd insulted my mother. She bowed her head to stare at her own hands, now wringing themselves to death in her own lap.

I sighed and rubbed her back gently.

Dad wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder, kissing her temple lovingly in consolation. He addressed both of us. "Esme and I understand your position, Bella," he said in a conciliatory tone. She looked up at him with a wan face. "We only wanted to give you and Edward options. Esme understands that you have options despite our circumstances, don't you sweetheart?"

Mom nodded her head but refused to look at us. I saw a tear roll over her chin and onto her hand. Bella looked at me with a stricken face. "_Do something_," she mouthed at me silently. I nodded, standing up to wave away Dad so I could sit beside my mother in his stead.

Pulling her into my arms, I squeezed her in a loving hug while she sniffled into my shoulder.

"I love you, Mom," I whispered near her ear. "You are the most wonderful and generous mother a son could ever want. Every day that goes by, I give thanks to the universe that I am your child. Your offer means the world to both of us."

She sniffled emotionally. "Please don't cry, Mamma," I implored. I was at a total loss as to how to console her, short of accepting the rings this very moment. "If we don't accept, it won't be because we don't love you for the opportunity."

I saw Bella reach out to rub Mom's back between her shoulders. "Oh, yes, Esme – to bless our marriage by wearing your anniversary rings would be something wonderful. To bless our marriage by wearing the rings made by my husband's hand would be equally wonderful – it will be a difficult decision for us to make."

Mom lifted her head from my shoulder and turned to face Bella, wiping her moist eyes and wet cheeks. "Really?" she squeaked, "you're not just saying that?"

"_Really_," Bella acknowledged firmly.

_Fuck me. Crisis averted._

"Oh, I don't know _what's_ wrong with me," Mom breathed hoarsely. "I _feel _so hormonal." I blushed bright red and hurriedly swapped places with my Dad who smirked at me.

"Your day will come," he snickered in my ear as we passed each other.

I shuddered.

…

As I rolled over to watch the sun come up, I reminisced about Christmas Eve. Last night we'd surprised Bella with a party cake to celebrate her 26th birthday.

We'd all managed to keep it a secret from the guest of honor – even Larry managed not to say anything, but it is with regret that I admit I _may_ have given him some incentive by threatening to bury his Vegemite jar in the goat pen. Larry wasn't very fond of Jezebel, which is what Emmett had taken to calling her. Whatever the reason for his silence, I had to promise to return the jar of black tar-like paste to him before we sat down to breakfast this morning.

Mom kept the dinner menu simple, but tasty so it would appear to Bella as though there was nothing unusual about the day other than it was Christmas Eve. It wasn't until she brought out the big guns with an Aussie desert of soft, squidgy marshmallow meringue, topped with lashings of whipped cream and sliced fruit, that Bella suspected there was something more. Mom inserted a short, slim beeswax candle into the middle of the dessert and lit it. We all sang happy birthday to a surprised Bella, while she blushed and covered her face.

"What is that?" inquired Dad, pointing to the dessert.

Larry piped up knowingly. "It's called a pavlova, Dr Pops, and it's me favorite dessert. Me Mum made one of these every Christmas," he imparted, as he waited impatiently for a large portion. He slurped up the super-sweet dessert leaving a cream mustache on his upper lip. "It's real good, Mrs Lady."

"Well, thank you for the suggestion, Larry, and I've told you to call me Esme, so please do," she said mock-sternly, as she served Emmett a large creamless portion from the opposite side.

"Okay, Mrs Esme, glad I could help."

"Hm, hmm, hmmm," hummed Bella happily, as she ate her birthday dessert. I grinned jubilantly and opened my mouth for a taste of the proffered portion from her spoon.

"Hmm, it's sweet, but not as sweet as you," I told her when she waited for my verdict.

We managed to demolish the entire dessert, washing it down with moringa tea to rinse away the sweetness. When the plates had been cleared away, Alice and Rosalie opened the cabinet doors to the sideboard and pulled out stack of wrapped gifts.

"Present time!" yelled Emmett and Larry together.

"Oh, no, you shouldn't have," rebuked Bella lightly. "Alice you _told_ them it was my birthday, didn't you?"

Alice looked contrite for all of five seconds. "Yes, but I _had_ to, Bella – Esme just wouldn't give up," she explained, with a 'forgive me' expression on her face. "You would have had to disclose it anyway for your wedding – this way you get presents and Edward won't be irritated when he finds out he missed your first birthday together."

"That's right," I agreed with a mock scowl. "There are no secrets between us."

Bella huffed and eyed me warily. I leaned down to kiss her mouth lovingly. "Happy birthday, Bella. Now, open your presents," I growled.

The gifts she received were all handmade of course, but each person had thought about who she was and what she needed or would like.

She received a tightly woven bag from Rosalie and Emmett decorated with beads. The single shoulder strap was long enough that she could wear the bag across her body leaving her hands free.

"Thanks, you guys, it's beautiful. The weaving is so intricate and the kukui nut beads are amazing."

"We're glad you like it," Rosalie responded with relief. "Emmett made the cordage, and carved the beads and I wove the bag using my resurrected macrame skills."

"Well, I love it," Bella complimented with an enormous smile of appreciation.

"Open mine next," Larry begged as he pulled a large parcel from the stack of gifts and pushed it at Bella. She pulled the string keeping the bow closed and folded back the banana leaves to expose the present inside.

"Oh, um, it's … um it's different, Larry," Bella said awkwardly. She picked up the gift to study it from various angles.

Larry had made Bella a sunhat he'd woven using green palm fronds. Alice had shown him how to weave. It look pretty good actually, if a little strange. It had a hat band of pinky-red braided grass around the crown, which Mom had dyed for him using the skins of Malay apples. Around the brim at 2 inch intervals, hung acorn shaped seed pods tied to strings.

"It's an Aussie swagman hat, Miss Bella," Larry explained eagerly when she stared perplexedly at the strange decorations adorning the headgear. "Most of 'em have corks, but we don't have none – Mr Emmett said so. They 'sposed to jiggle around and keep the flies from your face," he added when Bella still looked unsure about their purpose.

Dawning comprehension spread across Bella's face. "Oh!" she exclaimed, popping it onto her head. The seed pods bobbed around her face. She looked gorgeously ridiculous, but I'm pretty sure it would do what Larry proclaimed it would do and that's all that mattered. "I love it, Larry, thank you."

He grinned happily and fist bumped Emmett and Alice who'd helped him with the gift. "They not real popular hats no more, Miss Bella, but I reckoned you might 'ppreciate it. Miss Alice said you like to explore the island and forage for food and stuff."

"Yes, I do. I'll certainly get lots of use from it – it's perfect."

"Open ours next," said Alice excitedly as she handed a wrapped bundle to Bella. She jiggled in her seat nervously as Bella gentle squeezed and shook the bundle to test its contents.

"Just open it, Bella," begged Jasper dryly, "before Alice here loses all patience and opens it for you."

We all laughed. Jasper wasn't joking. Alice had taken control many times before when it came to opening the gifts she gave you. She had no patience at all and often spoiled the surprise by blurting out what it was before you could get the paper off the packaging.

Bella grinned at Alice mischievously, before giving in to the pixie's whining and opened the gift. Inside was an absolutely gorgeous necklace made from small red, pink, yellow and creamy white conical shells. There were five strands of shells twisted around each other and tied off with larger shells at the ends with a thin length of knotted leather, instead of a metal clasp.

"Oh!" Bella breathed in astonishment. "It's a shell lei. Oh, Alice, Jasper, it's absolutely beautiful. This must have taken both of you many, many hours to make?"

"It did," Jasper agreed. "Alice could give the navy a run for its money with her aptitude for military precision when it comes to organization." There was another round of good-natured laughter at Alice's expense and she blushed prettily. "I thought I'd go blind sorting those shells by color, and then piercing them with holes."

"How many did you shatter," Bella asked with a laugh.

"Too many to count," Jasper responded dryly. We all laughed.

Bella wiped yet another emotional tear from her eyes – this past fortnight had been hard on her tear-ducts. "Oh, Alice, this is too much. The workmanship is beautiful. Where did you learn to make a shell lei?"

"I've seen it made once before when Jasper and I visited the island of Ni'ihau. We wanted to give you something you could wear on your wedding day, so I practiced first with some larger shells until I got the technique right and then I started threading my first strand."

"You were very lucky to visit Ni'ihau. Very few guests are allowed onto the island," Bella remarked. "Not even I've been there."

"Really, wow, you've never been? I was fortunate that the elders allowed me to accompany Jasper when he visited on a business trip a few years ago."

"I'll treasure it always. Thank you both." Bella laid the shell lei reverently on the table to accept the next gift offered by Mom and Dad – a rather large rectangular parcel.

"What is it?" Bella asked as she gently shook it. A slight rattle sounded from within the pleated banana leaves.

Mom rolled her eyes. "Open it and find out!" Dad winked at her and motioned for her to get on with it, making Bella giggle.

"Oh, my," Bella gasped as she folded back the wrapping leaves. Inside, there was a stack of heavy handmade paper, 8 pots of dried water color paints and a paint brush. Her mouth fell open in awe as she fingered the paper and stroked her palm with the soft bristles of the brush.

Dad coughed self-consciously. "We, um, thought you might like to explore your artistic creativity. We've noticed you drawing with the gray pencil. Esme says you're quite talented."

Without warning, Bella began crying. She sat at the table sobbing into her hands.

"What's wrong, Bella?" shrieked Mom worriedly. "Don't you like it? You don't have to paint if you don't want to," she cried apologetically. Mom reared to her feet to rush around the table to Bella's side. Pushing me out of my chair without ceremony, Mom sat down and pulled Bella into her arms, rocking her too and fro.

"You okay, down there?" asked Larry curiously. He peered down at me on my new seat on the dining room floor, watching as I dusted off my hands on my jean clad thighs.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Larry. Help me up, will ya?" I asked, reaching up automatically with my hand. He grasped it and pulled me easily to my feet. He was built like a workhorse with the strength of an ox.

Dad, Jasper and Emmett were laughing quietly into their fists when I got back onto my feet. I scowled at them and moved around the table to Mom's abandoned seat rubbing my abused hip.

"Any injuries?" Dad choked out.

I scowled again. "No!" I hissed in embarrassment. "What makes her do that shit?"

Dad shrugged philosophically. "She loves Bella. At this exact moment, her well-being is more important than yours," Dad explained quietly. "You'll get used to it – I did."

We all watched the two women for a few more minutes. Mom whispered to Bella and in return Bella nodded or shook her head depending on her answer to Mom's softly spoken questions.

"She likes the gift," I told Dad.

"I know, Son – she's just overwhelmed."

I nodded. "How'd you both make all those art supplies?"

"We made the paper using pulverized paper-mulberry bark, and your mother mixed up the paints using starch, water and natural dies – apparently they're easy to make. We used the tops trimmed off some gourds to make a pallet for the paints, then left them to harden into discs."

"What about the brush? It doesn't look like one of Mom's," I said curiously, squinting across the breadth of the table at the rustic implement.

"It's not. Emmett made the handle, and Esme used breadfruit sap to glue goats hair into the hollow base, then bound it with olona cordage. It's not quite the same quality as a sable brush, but it's the best we can do."

"It's wonderful," I assured him. "Jezebel made a donation, huh?"

"Yeah, Rosalie gave her a haircut."

I sniggered.

Eventually, Mom and Bella rejoined the party, wiping their eyes and clinging to each other at the table. Mom stood up and came back to her seat, nudging my shoulder to get me to move so she could sit down by her husband.

_At least she didn't push me off the chair this time._

I stood up and returned to Bella.

"You okay?" I whispered as I sat down and stroked her hot face.

"Yeah," she sniffed. "It was just all too much, you know?"

"Yeah, I think I do. There's only one more gift – mine – you're not gonna cry again are you, baby?" I begged. "You'll give yourself a headache."

"Too late," she laughed, dabbing at her eyes with her dinner napkin.

"You ready?"

"Yes. Let me have it," she said with resignation.

I smiled and handed her my gift. Mine was also rectangular, but slightly smaller than the one given to her by my parents. We'd actually had remarkably similar ideas, but had employed them in different ways. I'd used my artistic talent to make Bella a portrait. I watched with my breath held as she pulled the portrait mounted in a recycled picture frame from its wrappings.

I'd drawn a picture of her grandmother, A'ala, using a photograph taken when she was a young woman of 25. I embellished here and there, relying on the descriptions Bella had unwittingly given me. Alice helped by critiquing the portrait, since she was the only one of us who'd ever met Bella's beloved grandmother. Now that I knew we could make more paper, I wouldn't need to be so cautious with my sketch pad.

"It's wonderful, Edward, and uncannily accurate," Bella choked out, her voice thick with emotion. You've captured my grandmother, exactly how I remember her."

I chewed on my lip, a nervous habit I'd picked up from Bella. "So you like it?"

She gulped and nodded jerkily. "Yes. How could I not like it?" she whispered. "It's the only connection to my grandmother I have now, apart from a 50 year old photograph, which I don't even know why I have with me."

Placing the portrait on the table, she swiveled on her seat to face me. "Thank you, Edward. You could not have chosen a better gift for me. I will cherish it always."

Reaching up to hold my face in her hands, she leaned forward and kissed me deeply, reverently, pulling me in with her gracious love.

…

A/N: Photos for the chapter are on my blog at jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com.

I've also posted a **ring poll** on my blog, so that Wrecked readers can choose the rings for Edward and Bella's wedding/commitment ceremony that they like most. There are five ring sets to chose from and each voter can make up to three choices. Rings are displayed in random order, so their position in the poll is not an indication of my favorite. The rings with the most votes will be used in the story, so head on over to my blog and have your say. Voting closes on Sunday the 2nd of December 2012.

The **Royal Hawaiian **is a hotel on Waikiki beach known as the 'pink palace'. It opened in February 1927 and is set on 14 acres of prime Waikiki beachfront. The site of The Royal Hawaiian was used as a playground for King Kamehameha I after he conquered the island of Oahu, and Queen Kaahumanu's Summer Palace was previously located in what is now the resort's Coconut Grove garden. During WWII, The Royal Hawaiian was leased exclusively to the U.S. Navy as a rest and recreation center for the Pacific Fleet. The resort reopened to the public in February 1947.

**Pavlova **is a much loved Aussie dessert traditionally made with enormous quantities of egg whites and caster sugar (superfine) which is then baked in a cool oven for a few hours. Pavlova is a Christmas dessert staple in Australia. It's traditionally decorated with lashings of whipped cream, fresh fruit and sprinkled with chocolate shavings.

A **Ni'ihau shell lei** is regarded as one of the finest Polynesian art forms. They are rare and expensive heirlooms, and are the only shell lei in the world that can be insured. The islanders of Ni'ihau traditionally use kahelelani, momi, and laiki shells, which are only found in the Hawaiian islands.

The paper-mulberry tree is plentiful in Pacific Polynesia. Its bark is used to make the traditional Polynesian kapa or tapa cloth. The Japanese are proficient at **making paper **from the bark of the paper-mulberry tree. The bark is pulverized to a pulp; water is added and sometimes lye – a strong alkali. **Water color paints **can be made using a mixture of starch, water and dyes which are then left to dry and harden. Some artists do still make their own **paint brushes** and many types of hair can be used – even human hair. As Esme is a university art graduate, it is likely something she learned to do at some point in her education or career.


	36. Chapter 36 - Deck the Halls

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Welcome to Christmas on Isabella Island. Many thanks to Rohan65 who was kind enough to give me some great ideas for the Polynesian Christmas celebration, including some gifts the family could make from items available on the island. Thanks also to Bab1067 for her medical expertise regarding Bella's recovery and physiotherapy.

…

Chapter 36 – Deck the Halls …

I must have nodded off. When I woke up, the room was bright with morning sun and Bella was gone from our bed. Checking my watch, I noted the time was nearly 8 am – 2 hours after sunrise.

_They'd better not have started Christmas without me._

Flinging the covers back, I dove from the bed and rushed for the door, naked as the day I was born. If it wasn't for the mirror reflecting my image from the open bathroom door, I would have flown downstairs, showing my family more of me than they or I was comfortable with.

Swiveling around in a sharp about-face, I flung the lid up on the chest at the foot of the bed. Pulling out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt I dressed quickly and somewhat carelessly. When I arrived downstairs, my pants were twisted around my hips, my t-shirt was on inside out and backwards. The tag was to the front and the deep V neck exposed the patch of skin between my shoulders.

"In a hurry are you, Son?" asked Dad dryly. He was propped casually against the door frame into the dining room. He sipped languidly from a cup of tea in one hand and nibbled on the piece of toast he held in the other.

"Why didn't anyone wake me?" I squawked frustratedly. Peering into the lounge room, I breathed an inward sigh of relief. The large collection of wrapped gifts resided undisturbed beneath the decorated tree.

Dad smirked. "We all decided we'd rather enjoy a relaxing breakfast _without_ the indigestion we normally have on Christmas morning. I would have woken you shortly."

I humphed. "Where is everybody?"

"Your mother, Bella and the girls are outside. They're tending to the leg of pork roasting in the fire pit. Your brothers are at the beach checking the lobster traps – they should be back shortly, and Larry is feeding the animals while he searches for his Vegemite." He paused for a few beats before chastising me. "Did you really have to bury it in the goat pen, Edward?"

I snickered, but wiped my expression clean in the face of Dad's dark frown of disapproval. "I promised him I'd give it back this morning," I replied sulkily.

"That's not the point. You know Larry is afraid of Jezebel. He idolizes you, Edward – you really should be kinder to him," Dad rebuked.

My face reddened with mild shame. Nodding, I promised to apologize to Larry.

"Good, you can start by retrieving his Vegemite jar – Jezebel looks ready to charge," Dad remarked. He jerked his thumb in the direction of the goat pen that we could see from the dining room window. Larry was bent over at the waist, digging in the ground while Jezebel stood in the corner of the pen, eying Larry's butt viciously. She pawed at the ground and tossed her horned head with clear intent.

"Bloody hell," I muttered. Hitching my sweats up, I bolted from the house and flew down the front steps, blowing a kiss to Bella as she looked up with a smile of greeting. "Just give me a minute," I huffed, passing her at a sprint. "Gotta rescue Larry from Jezebel."

She looked startled. "What?" Edward! What was that about Jezebel and Larry?" she called after me.

When the goat leapt into a gallop toward Larry, I skidded up to the fence, stopping sharply. "Larry, watch out!"

He jumped and looked up in surprise, still bent over. "What?"

I waved him frantically out of the goat pen. "Get out of there. Now! The fucking goat's charging you!"

His eyes widened as he caught sight of the wild-eyed animal from between his legs. Squawking in terror, he took off at a stumbling run around the sides of the pen, with Jezebel racing behind him.

"No, Jezebel! Stop, stop!" he yelled at her over his shoulder. "Be a good girl, Jezebel. Good goat. Don't hurt, Larry!" he yelped, as her horns brushed the seat of pants.

"Run! She's right behind you, Larry! Run for the fence – you'll need to jump it," I commanded, holding fast to the railing.

Mom ran up beside me, panting, while Bella hurried along behind her. Mom looked pale and she was perspiring, which I found odd, because it wasn't that hot this morning. I didn't have time to think more about it, because Larry sprinted at the fence that very moment. He used the railing as a spring-board, leaping over the barrier and collapsing to the ground, breathing heavily.

"You okay, Larry?" Mom asked, bending down to look him over.

He gulped and scrambled onto his knees, and then his feet, shaking visibly. "Yeah, Mrs Esme, I'm okay now … but that goat's a _real _bitch," he added sagely.

I snorted with laughter and even Mom and Bella giggled.

"Are you sure?" He nodded. "Okay. Go and get cleaned up, Larry," Mom said, "it's nearly time to open presents."

"But I _need _my Vegemite," he objected, glancing at me dolefully.

I shifted nervously as Mom eyed me suspiciously. "Hmmm," she sounded. "Edward will get it for you, since I'm fairly certain he knows where to look for it. Off you go."

He lumbered off and Bella followed, heading into the house with Rose and Alice. Dad stood on the verandah as she passed by him, and I watched him looking at Mom with an intense gaze of interest. Mom stood before me, tapping her foot with her arms crossed disapprovingly.

"I'll take care of the goat while you dig up the jar," she ordered in a no-nonsense tone.

"Yes, ma'am." Sighing, I turned and followed Mom into the pen. As I turned around from latching the gate, I saw Mom sway slightly. Alarmed, I rushed forward to steady her, and noticed she was paler than she was a few moments earlier. "Are you okay, Mom?" I asked worriedly.

"Oh, yes, Edward, I'm fine. I'm just a bit hot and tired." Gently shaking off my rescuing hand, she strode toward Jezebel, taking a firm hold of the rope head-halter. "Come on, you nasty girl," she hissed, dragging the goat over to the food trough.

Watching over my mother carefully, I picked up the spade Larry had abandoned and began digging into the sandy soil. Three shovels later, the cord I'd tied around the neck of a small gourd bottle was exposed. Grabbing it, I pulled the container protecting the jar of Vegemite from the ground, then refilled the hole.

Mom let go of the goat and I met her at the gate, closing it securely behind us. "Maybe you should rest for awhile?" I suggested as we walked slowly back to the house. She shook her head dismissively saying she had too much to do before dinner. Dad met us at the bottom of the stairs. I surrendered my mother into her husband's care and headed into the house to pacify Larry.

I met Bella in the entry foyer, as she walked slowly down the stairs after freshening up in the bathroom. When she halted on the bottom step, I strolled forward so we were standing at eye-level.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at the gourd bottle.

My mouth twisted up. "Larry's Vegemite."

Her eyebrows rose. "Oh." She paused momentarily. "Are you gonna give it back to him?"

"In a minute."

Dropping the gourd onto a padded seat in the foyer, I gathered her closer to kiss her good morning. Her lips parted allowing me entrance to her mouth, our tongues touching in greeting. Stretching up slightly, her arms wrapped around my neck. Our kiss deepened. Her mouth tasted delicious – almost as delectable as her nether folds had last night, when we privately celebrated her birthday.

Pulling away reluctantly, I rested my my forehead against her own. "Merry Christmas, Bella."

She laughed softly. "Merry Christmas, Edward. So much for getting up at dawn to open presents," she reminded me.

I shrugged bashfully, handing her down the remaining step and escorting her into the lounge room. My arm curved protectively around her waist as I directed her carefully toward a sofa. Her physio therapy the past two weeks had gone remarkably well leaving her almost healed and healthy. Dad breathed a sigh of relief when there'd been no sign of infection or leaking from the wounded vein – both of which could have been life threatening. Her physio consisted of daily leg exercises to regain lost flexibility and strengthen weakened muscles. Following two weeks of rest, we'd started with assisted walking until her leg was strong enough to support her own weight. Weight bearing exercises had commenced about a week ago and she'd made great strides in her recovery.

Dad declared her fit to resume normal activities a couple of days ago – as long as she didn't over do it – but the physio would continue for a few more weeks. I wasn't complaining about the green light, and neither had Bella when we'd retired to our room after her birthday dinner. I had her lie on the bed so I could take her leg through its range-of-motion exercises, finishing with a gentle massage of her thigh muscles.

As my hands glided over her groin area, I realized she was becoming aroused. Now that her leg was no longer ultra painful, my touch was arousing rather than simply soothing. Being the opportunist that I was, I took advantage of her naked, sprawling position to crawl between her parted legs. I deliberately allowed my shaggy hair to brush against her inner thighs as I inhaled deeply of the delicate scent wafting into my nostrils.

She moaned and pulled her healthy leg further out to the side, making more room for me to reach my goal. I rewarded her by stroking her gently. Her attention jerked toward the closed door. Beyond it, the sounds of our family retiring for the night reached us.

"Wh-what are you doing, Edward?" she whispered, so they wouldn't hear her.

"Making love to you," I whispered back, nuzzling between her legs. She moaned again and clapped her open hand against her mouth.

"But everyone's still awake," she protested.

I smirked up at her. "Then you'll have to keep quiet, won't you?" Sliding my hands under her butt, I lifted her hips toward my mouth. Her eyes widened as my intent become clear. She barely grabbed my pillow to smother her sounds, when I threw her recovering leg over my shoulder.

"Ooohhh," she moaned into the pillow, as my lips kissed along her soft mound. Using my tongue to part her folds, the only sounds from that point forward were ones of delight as I brought her to the brink, twice, before letting her orgasm.

My pleasant reverie was interrupted as Dad escorted my annoyed mother into the room. He led her to a bamboo armchair, seating her solicitously. Sitting in the seat beside her, he gathered her hand in his protectively, and switched the television on, settling on a news program. We were still waiting for Jasper and Emmett to return from the beach. My eyes checked the time repeatedly, the stack of gifts around the tree teasing me relentlessly.

Rose and Alice had used a denuded fruit branch from a palm tree, standing it upright in a small bucket of sand. It was decorated with ornaments made from sticks, woven grasses, shells and dried red berries strung into garlands. A red berry wreath hung over the fireplace and beeswax candles adorned with dried lime slices decorated the mantle.

I checked the time again, noting another ten minutes. "I'm going to look for my brothers," I told Bella impatiently.

Dad stayed me with a raised hand. "Just a moment, Edward. Listen to this," he said urgently. He turned up the volume with the remote. My eyes widened at the still image on the screen. I sat down, shocked, to listen to the news broadcast. Larry's head shot up from his hand-held video game as her name was spoken.

"_The FBI office in Honolulu announced this morning, that Australian woman, Victoria Vincent, was taken into custody by the US Navy. Ms Vincent was arrested when the ship she was on was captured by the US navy just north of the Line Islands four days ago. Navy destroyer, the USS O'Kane had been pursuing high-tech ship, the MORTE for more than three weeks since it was sighted anchored in a small harbor on the island of Oahu. MORTE has been impounded by the authorities in Honolulu on suspicion it has been used in piracy throughout the Pacific region._

"_The authorities advised that Ms Vincent normally travels with her partner, fellow Australian, James "Jimmy" Hunter. Mr Hunter was not on board MORTE and has not been seen for several months. He was last sighted by local authorities in Western Samoa. Authorities suspect that Ms Vincent and Mr Hunter are _not_ the owners of the vessel, though Mr Hunter has previously claimed naming rights._

"_When questioned, Ms Vincent told authorities that she did not know where her partner was. She refused to answer any further questions. Also suspected of traveling with Mr Hunter is Ms Vincent's cousin, Laurence "Larry" Vincent – a 24 year old Australian man with a mild mental disability. He was taken from an institution in Melbourne, Australia more than a year ago._

"_Mr Hunter is considered by the FBI, to be extremely dangerous. Citizens are strongly advised not to approach him, but should contact the FBI in Honolulu if sighted. Mr Larry Vincent is not considered dangerous, but should be approached with caution."_

Dad used the remote to click off the television. We sat in stunned silence, digesting the good _and _bad news we'd just received.

Alice swallowed, then whispered sadly, "They were so close to us – the navy. That's where we are isn't it – the Line Islands?"

I nodded stiffly.

"At least she's been captured," added Mom with satisfaction. Her color had returned since she'd been resting. "I freely admit I was worried she'd return. The longer she stayed away, the more hopeful I was she'd been caught, but ..."

I finished Mom's thought. "But it was always in the back of your mind that she might turn up one day and seek vengeance – when she found out about Jimmy?" I completed.

Rosalie and Bella shuddered in remembered fear. I rubbed Bella's knee reassuringly while watching Rose on the opposite sofa. She stroked her burgeoning stomach protectively, staring out the window as she searched for her husband. I saw Emmett and Jasper walking into camp, lugging a large tub of sea water full of lobster. Rosalie rolled hurriedly to her feet and walked away to meet them, gesturing at Alice to follow her.

Mom responded to my previous statement, unaware that her two eldest sons had returned. "Yes. I'm glad she won't be a problem anymore, even if it means we missed being rescued. Our lives are more important than getting into a war with a sociopathic woman bent on avenging her partner."

"I agree," seconded Dad.

Larry had remained silent during the newscast and our subsequent chatter.

"Are you okay, Larry?" asked Dad gently.

He looked at Dad with a sad expression. He was truly alone here with us now. His cousin would not be coming back for him any time soon. "Does custard-y mean 'rested, Dr Pops?"

"Yes, _custody_ means _arrested_," he confirmed, whilst correctly pronouncing the difficult words for Larry.

"Oh," he replied, scratching his scalp. "Um, you gunna kill me now?" he added worriedly.

Mom gasped. "What? Why would you _think _that, Larry?" she asked, getting up from her armchair to sit on the sofa beside him. Mom had grown quite fond of Larry over the past month. Her initial concerns about him were allayed by his somewhat childlike manner.

"Cuz, Jimmy's dead and Vivi ain't comin' back for me."

"Yes, I know that, but why do you think that means we're going to kill you?" Dad asked, leaning forward in his own seat to study Larry carefully.

"Well, what else you gunna do wif me? You 'sponsible for me now."

I chuckled ironically. "Larry, we've _been_ responsible for you this past month now. Why would that arrangement change?"

He shrugged. "Dunno, but you might not want me no more."

"Of course we _want_ you, Larry," piped up Bella kindly. "You're part of our family now. Who else will make me another swagman hat if you're not here with us?"

"Miss Alice," he answered matter-of-factly.

Mom patted his knee reassuringly. "Hear me clearly, Larry, there will be _no more_ talk of killing – not yours or any one else's. You're staying and that's that. Now, I do believe it's time to open Christmas presents – I hear the boys outside."

…

While Jazz and Emmett cleaned up from their fishing expedition, I filled them in on the content of the newscast. They'd heard the basic facts from their wives, but I expanded on the intel that MORTE was very likely owned by somebody else. We speculated over who it could be, and whether they'd come looking for the gold. It didn't bode well that some one who could finance a ship like MORTE probably had more money than some small countries.

Emmett postulated that anyone with that much money at their disposal, in all likelihood, wouldn't flinch at spending more of it to make ten times as much. We estimated that the gold we'd already found was worth millions. If there _was_ more of it to be found, we were literally sitting on an untapped gold-mine to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.

"Let's go downstairs," suggested Jasper. "We can talk about this more tomorrow at the family meeting. We've all got updates to share, but I for one want to enjoy Christmas day _without_ worrying over something we can't change."

By the time the entire family assembled in the lounge to open gifts it was going on for 11 o'clock. My stomach rumbled hungrily, but I forcefully ignored it. I would brook no more delays on receiving _my _Christmas presents!

Mom came into the room with a pitcher of limeade. She was followed by Dad with a tray of glasses and a plate of shortbread cookies, placing it down on the large ottoman. I quickly swiped two of them in an effort to keep the gnarling hunger pangs away, and accepted a glass from Mom after she'd served Bella. She was turning around to get the next glass when she lost her balance. Dad gasped and dropped his cookie, charging forward to catch his wife protectively.

"Esme! Are you okay?" Dad asked sharply.

He eased her into the armchair she'd occupied earlier, as the rest of us looked on worriedly. This was the second time today that Mom had suffered from a dizzy spell. It was uncustomary and quite frankly, worrying.

Dad took Mom's pulse and felt her face and neck with the back of his hand. His mouth tightened when he registered the results of the simple tests. "I want to examine you, Esme," Dad stated firmly.

She shook her head emphatically. "No. I feel fine now." Dad opened his mouth to object, only to be cut off before he could utter a syllable. "After we open gifts, Carlisle. Dinner isn't until later this afternoon – most of it's already prepared and Bella has the rest of it under control. I'll submit to an exam _after_ we exchange gifts, not before."

I could see Dad wanted to argue, but he refrained lest he upset her further by insisting. Dad handed Mom a glass of water from a carafe on the side table. As she took it, he bent down to whisper something close to her ear. She nodded reluctantly, an expression of irritation on her face as she sipped from the glass. Alice and Jasper stood up to serve the remaining drinks, glancing frequently at Mom with anxious faces. In actuality, we all stared at her with varying aspects of inquiry and worry.

"Stop staring at me!" Mom snapped, when the tension in the room became too much for her. "I'm fine. Get on with your gift deliveries, Carlisle!"

Sighing heavily, Dad nodded tersely and went to stand by the Christmas tree. His mouth pulled into a grim line of annoyance, but it eased a little when Mom smiled at him in gratitude. Whatever was wrong with her, she didn't want it to impact Christmas. Dad conceded and was soon immersed in his annual Santa duties.

The next hour and half was a riot. There were genuine smiles of delight, endless oohs and ahhs of appreciation, and even some emotional tears of gratitude as we unwrapped our gifts. It was astounding really, what we were able to make with our own hands from items found on the island.

We all received an assortment of jewelry made from carved Koa wood or shells. The work was intricate and oftentimes, far superior to anything similar we might have purchased in the stores back in Honolulu.

Mom and Dad gifted me the same artist set they'd given Bella the night before for her birthday. Bella and Mom each received a bamboo easel from Dad, and Dad gave Mom a stack of her own paper for reviving her own painting hobby. Bella gave me a similar easel, after conspiring with Dad so the gifts complimented each other.

Larry used his newly acquired, and surprisingly talented skills at weaving. He gave Rose and Alice a woven beach bag of dried palm fronds, and Mom and Bella a woven hand fan decorated with shells on the handle. Mom grabbed hers up immediately, waving the still air in the room at her heated face rapidly. Dad noticed, since he'd barely shifted his eyes off his wife, jerking his thumb imperiously at the ceiling fan. I jumped up to switch it on, berating myself for not thinking of it earlier.

Emmett presented Rosalie with the beautiful jewelry box he'd begun when I was making Bella's engagement ring. The lid was delicately carved with plumeria flowers. It fit snugly over a lip he'd carved along the top of the box, sealing the contents securely. Rosalie cried when she received it, cuddling Emmett affectionately from their place on one of the sofas.

Both Larry and Emmett received a gourd drum and stick from me and Bella.

"Hey, this is effing fantastic!" Emmett crowed with delight.

Larry dittoed his agreement. The two giant kids exchanged glances of mischief. Picking up their own drum stick with its bulbous knob, they thumped the tightly stretched iguana leather tapping out a simple tune of primal tones – boom, b-boom, boom.

_Good God, what have we done?_

Larry also received a bamboo pan flute from Jasper and Alice. He held it close to his mouth, blowing a discordant melody while thumping on his drum. Emmett joined in, entertaining us until Mom yelled "Enough!" after nearly 10 minutes of headache inducing racket. Larry was equally thrilled with his new bamboo fishing pole, and the game of coits (a pole and ring set) he received from Esme and Carlisle. Dad said it would help him with his eye-hand coordination.

Bella was thrilled with the wide Koa wood bangle I gave her. It was similar in color and shape to the band of her engagement ring. I slipped it over her small hand and it settled on her right wrist. It fit loosely, but not so much that it would fall off while working or playing. Bella made Alice, Rose and Mom a new selection of soaps containing goats milk and cucumber extract. We teamed the bars with natural sea sponges found on the beach following the week-long stormy weather. I washed and treated them, so they were safe to use as a loofah.

Mom gave Dad a miniature Japanese sand garden for the desk in his office. Jasper assisted by making the tray for the bed of sand, and crafting a tiny rake, a hoe and a thimble sized bucket. There were shiny river stones, tiny stick trees (which were really dead branches) and a kit of slender bamboo matchsticks for constructing a dwelling. Dad was stunned silly, and unable to articulate his sheer joy for at least five full minutes.

"Esme, this is … this is wonderful. There's something so … restful about it," he murmured, making furrows in the sand with the delicate rake.

Mom grinned widely with happiness. "I thought you might enjoy it. A lot of people have them. They help you to relax and focus attention on something other than your problems. Many executives say they can often find solutions to seemingly insurmountable issues after a little raking and tilling."

Continuing the oriental theme, Jasper and Alice gave him a bonsai tree in a small clay pot they'd fired in the kitchen oven. Making use of his agricultural expertise, Jasper found a young fig tree. He immediately thought of Dad and set about digging it up to begin the process of pruning. It would require more clipping as time went by to maintain the stunted size and shape of a true Bonsai, but Jasper promised to teach Dad all he needed to know. He was thrilled and couldn't stop gazing at his two Japanese gardens.

Bella and I gave Mom and Dad two bamboo table lamps for their bedroom. Each lamp housed a small beeswax candle in a glass jar as a light source. Emmett received a tooled leather belt from Jasper and Alice, a fresh pot of honey and a stirrer from me and Bella, and a large flat river stone for honing his whittling knife from Larry. Dad, Jasper and I were recipients of a pair of palm frond slippers from Larry adorned with shell tassels. They were surprisingly cool and comfortable.

Jasper got a new fly fishing net from Emmett and Rosalie, while Jasper gave his unashamedly vain spouse her own mirror – decorated with shells, starfish and bleached wood around the border. She squealed with excitement and kissed her husband, before holding the mirror up to admire her reflection. We all laughed and poked fun at her, while Bella and Rosalie moved to sit beside her and admire there own complexions.

The number of gifts exchanged was endless. They were simply too numerous to name, or do them all justice with my humble descriptions.

…

At 12.30, Dad escorted Mom into his office, and Bella went outside to check the leg of pork roasting in the fire pit. I went with her to keep her company. We only had two piglets left now – the lone male and one female. We were hoping the female would come into heat in the spring so we'd have a litter of new piglets for meat and breeding over the coming year. The small stone and mud cool house we constructed was full of pork to be smoked into bacon, frozen or turned into ham or other products.

The rooster Emmett and Rosalie captured at Thanksgiving was proving his virility by romancing the hens into laying double their normal quota. Mom and Bella cracked and separated most of them, freezing the whites and yolks for cooking. In the new year, the rooster and hens would be left alone to concentrate on breeding. With any luck, we'd have enough poultry for meat as well as eggs. I was looking forward to a crispy roasted chicken.

Our little farm was looking rather successful given the lack of modern techniques or technology. The garden was thriving, producing almost more food than we could eat or preserve. The goats would breed – maybe not this spring, but definitely the next one – supplying meat, dairy and even their wool for spinning. Alice was already making plans for Jasper to build her a weaving loom and a spinning wheel. She quite rightly pointed out that our clothes and textiles would wear out eventually.

"What do you think is wrong with Esme?" Bella asked me suddenly, interrupting my mental tally of our current situation.

I ruminated for a long moment. "I don't know," I eventually replied slowly. "If we were in a populated area, the flu would be be a possible suspect. But out here where there are no germs being passed around ..." I trailed off.

"Yeah, I know. That's what I thought as well. We're so secluded here that airborne germs would have to travel a long distance to infect us with anything. I suppose it's possible though."

"Yeah," I said noncommittally. "Dad would know for sure."

I don't want to think of my mother becoming ill with some unknown infection or virus – Dad's drugs were running low due to all of our injuries. Soon, he'd have to find alternatives. Mom was too important to all of us to get sick. She was the glue that held us all together. She was necessary to our existence. Our father would wither away without her. _I don't want to think about it._

"Let's make some lunch, and then we can set up the tables for the luau," Bella suggested. I was grateful for her timely distraction.

…

Dad came into the dining room around 2 o'clock after escorting Mom upstairs to rest. The remainder of the family were sitting around the table playing a quiet game of navy monopoly or enjoying their Christmas presents.

Emmett rolled a double two with the dice asking, "Is Mom okay," before Dad could even sit down. He moved his helicopter token four places landing himself in jail. Rolling his eyes, he tossed the dice to Jasper.

Dad sighed, rubbing his temples. "Yes, I believe so. She's seesawing between being hot and cold. She has a mild headache and she feels a little nauseated and tired, but I don't think it's anything serious. She's resting now. I told her not to come back downstairs until it was time for dinner."

"I bet she loved that?" Emmett opined sarcastically.

Dad snorted. "Bella, would you mind making Esme some tea and toast, please – it might help settle her stomach."

Bella stood up. "Sure, Carlisle. Do you want something as well – you haven't eaten lunch and dinner isn't until six." Dad's stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly, eliciting a grin from Bella. "I'll take that insistent growl as a yes, shall I?"

Dad blushed. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"No problem. Does anyone else want something to eat?"

"I do," called Emmett and Larry simultaneously. Bella rolled her eyes at their predictable answer to _any_ offer of food.

"Well I _know_ that. I _meant _any one else," she teased.

Alice and Rose threw each other significant looks, before standing. "We'll help you," they chorused.

The three women left the room for the kitchen, closing the door behind them, so they could talk in private. I assumed – correctly I found out later from Bella – that they were discussing what they thought could be wrong with Esme. When I asked what they'd decided, Bella blushed as red as a tomato and vaguely replied that it was something 'female', whatever the hell that meant at Mom's age.

Alice came back through the dining room 10 minutes later with a small pot of tea and some toast with jam for Esme, taking it upstairs. She was careful to close the kitchen door, secluding Rose and Bella's conversation from prying male hearing. When Alice came back, she disappeared behind the closed door once again and we didn't see them for another 20 minutes. They emerged, finally, with a large pot of tea, sliced fruit cake and a plate of shortbread cookies, each behaving as though it hadn't taken them 30 minutes to boil the kettle.

Around mid afternoon, Jasper left the table to shove the lobsters he'd caught into the freezer. When their bodily functions slowed to the point of unconsciousness, they'd be killed humanely before cooking. Bella departed for the kitchen to work on final preparations for the luau dinner, whilst Rose and Alice went outside with Emmett and Larry to decorate the picnic area. That left me and Dad, sitting in silence, contemplating the women in our lives that were a constant source of joy and worry.

Mom appeared downstairs just before dinner, marching directly to the stereo to select a CD of music. Dad followed her movements with sharp eyes and tense shoulders. He relaxed visibly when it appeared she'd recovered.

"Edward?"

"Yes, Mom?"

"Can you move the stereo to that table by the window and turn it around so the speakers are facing outward. I think some party music is appropriate for our luau dinner, don't you agree?" She voiced it as a statement, rather than a question.

"Sure, Mom," I agreed without argument. I went to do her bidding.

She nodded her head in satisfaction and marched toward the kitchen. From the corner of my eye, I saw Dad follow her.

"_Don't fuss_, please, Carlisle," I heard her say to Dad sharply barely a few seconds later. He responded so quietly I couldn't hear him, but she responded softly with, "I promise, Carlisle, I won't over do it, but I feel fine now."

I finished what I was doing and left the house to join the others, giving my parents some privacy. I sighed in frustration. The more I saw and heard, the more worried I became. I had enough ulcers worrying over Bella. As much as I loved my mother, I could really do _without_ the added pressure. The navy was a piece of cake compared to loving a woman.

My problem is, I'm a mama's boy – through and through. I'm not ashamed to admit it to myself either. I'm the youngest of three boys and I was spoiled rotten, receiving constant, loving attention from my mother. One of my fondest childhood memories is the time I conspired with my mother to blow off kindergarten in favor of swimming at the beach two bays over from our house on Oahu. We'd swum, basked in the sun, and made sandcastles for hours, returning home with sunburn and a mild case of heat sickness. It was one of the best days of my life, which is saying a lot, since at the time, I was only six years old.

"Hey, this looks fantastic," I complimented upon reaching the picnic area at the site of our old dining area.

The tiki torches were lit, flickering strongly in the waning daylight. A serving table was dressed with woven mats and a floor-length grass skirt hiding the trestles. Two candles set into bamboo pots sat at each end to highlight the food when it was ready.

"Way to go, Edward. Turn up when the work's all done," ribbed Jasper.

I flushed guiltily. "Sorry. I promise to clean up."

Jasper frowned at me. "I was just joking, Edward."

"Oh, okay then," I replied distractedly. "Do you need help with the lobsters?"

He gave me an odd look. "No, they're all ready for cooking. You could go get them, though. They're in the kitchen. Bella's still inside putting the final touches on dinner."

"No she isn't. Mom and Dad were just in there talking. I'm pretty certain Bella wasn't a witness."

Jasper narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, 'witness'?"

I shrugged. "Mom and Dad were kind of having words." Jasper's eyes widened worriedly, forcing me to hurriedly clarify. "Not arguing exactly. I couldn't really hear Dad, but Mom asked him not to fuss."

"He's probably still worried about her. I wouldn't let it concern you, Edward," Jasper advised. "Dad will look after her. I'll get the lobster tails, while you look for Bella."

Before we could depart, Bella's voice called out across the clearing. "Emmett!"

"Speak of the devil," Jasper said.

We both turned in the direction of the Verandah were Bella was standing. She was dressed in a short red top teamed with a long grass skirt with a plumeria lei around her neck. A posy of hibiscus adorned the left side of her partially upswept hair. She looked magnificent! Like a Hawaiian princess.

"Yeah?" Emmett answered.

"Can you take the pork and the iguana-chicken out of the fire pit? We'll be ready to eat as soon as the lobsters are done."

"Will do," he responded.

Almost without conscious thought, I walked slowly toward the Polynesian vision decorating our front verandah. Stopping before her, I bowed from the waist and held my hand out to her. "Your Highness, you are truly beautiful this evening," I complimented reverently.

She took my hand and stepped down until she was standing barefoot before me. "Thank you, Edward." She blushed prettily.

We stared into each others eyes as the world around us retreated. I hardly even noticed when Jasper passed by with the plate of tails to throw onto the BBQ. I wanted to devour her. Moving closer, I leaned down and inhaled her scent – a mixture that was uniquely Bella mixed with the fragrance of frangipani.

"Delicious," I uttered.

Bella coughed self-consciously since we were in the presence of others. "Um, you'd better get changed for dinner. I laid out a pair of shorts and a shirt for you to wear."

I blinked, looking down at my current attire of … shorts and a t-shirt. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

She shrugged apologetically. "It, um, doesn't really say, 'luau'."

I quirked a brow. "There are clothes that say, 'I'm going to a luau'?"

She nodded. "Yes. Now, go get changed. We'll be eating in a few minutes."

Rolling my eyes as I tried and failed to understand the reasoning of women, I did as I was told and headed upstairs to change. On the bed was a pair of chino shorts and one of Emmett's Aloha floral shirts in lurid colors of orange and yellow on a blue background. I gagged. After reluctantly dressing in the vile shirt, I went downstairs to attend our luau.

Bella met us at the foot of the stairs to the verandah. Over her left arm, hung a swathe of flowers. Stepping forward, she beckoned for me to bend down so she could place a plumeria lei over my head. As it settled round my neck, she kissed my mouth, and whispered, "Aloha." She repeated the beautiful greeting for every member of the family, kissing their cheeks instead.

Sitting at the picnic table, which was decorated with woven mats, decorated candles and scattered flowers, we were a sight to behold in our identical outfits. All of the men were dressed similarly in shorts and Hawaiian shirts – each of them belonging to Emmett. All of the women wore sleeveless brightly colored tops and grass skirts with flowers decorating their hair.

A compilation of bygone party music sounded from the stereo. My leg jiggled to the beat as I sipped from a mango daiquiri that melted on my tongue leaving behind the flavor of vodka and white rum. Rose sipped from a virgin cocktail as did Mom who was taking it easy. Larry took a sip of his drink, making a face of dislike at the sharp taste of alcohol.

"Um, Miss Bella, this tastes funny. Can I have a different one?" he asked timidly.

Bella looked up with a smile of understanding. "Sure, Larry. Would you like a plain mango drink like Esme and Rosalie?"

He pushed his discarded drink across the table. "Yes, please."

Bella poured him a fresh virgin cocktail and handed it to Larry. He tasted it cautiously, looking up with a smile of gratitude when it was more to his liking. "Thank you, Miss Bella. I don't mean to make no trouble. I like ev'ything else you make me to eat," he explained.

"It's not a problem, Larry, and at a luau, you say, Mahalo. It's Hawaiian for thank you."

Larry grinned. He loved the attention that Mom and Bella paid to him. "Mahalo, Miss Bella. That's a pretty langwidge that is – Hahwhyan."

"Yes it is, Larry. I can teach you some other words. Would you like that?"

His eyes brightened. "Yes, please. Mahalo!"

Bella laughed lightly. "Very good, Larry. You learn quickly."

She sat down beside me and I kissed her for her kindness. I could learn a great deal from how Bella interacted with people. I wished I had a working camera so I could take a photograph of us. The luau was the type of memory that was always remembered with fondness when the family albums were pulled out at special birthdays and events. I tried to commit every detail to memory, so I could paint it instead. Dad said grace following cocktails, and we all stood up to serve ourselves from the smorgasbord of food.

There was kalua pork and Hawaiian BBQ iguana-chicken, lobster tails, roasted potato salad, and a mixed salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and onions courtesy of the vegetables grown in our garden. Mom had made condiments of chunky apple sauce, and a kind of spicy BBQ sauce from tomatoes, fruit and some of the wild turmeric root that abounded on the island. A basket of freshly baked bread rolls soaked up the juices. It was the second best meal I'd eaten on the island. I would have counted our engagement dinner, except I hardly remember tasting it. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner both won hands down.

Following dinner, but before dessert, Bella said she had a surprise for us. She lined us up in two rows with the guys standing behind the women, while Bella stood out in front of us, directing.

"Who wants to learn to hula?" she asked mischievously.

"Me! Me!" yelled Larry ecstatically.

There was good natured chuckling from the rest of us.

"Alright everyone, listen up. I'm gonna teach you some basic steps and movements first. Once you've got the hang of it, I'll play some hula music and we can run through the dance. Are you ready?"

"Yes!" we all chorused, laughing.

"Alright. This first step is called the Kahalo – it's the most basic hula step." Bella demonstrated the dance step, going through the motions slowly as she instructed. "Stand with your feet slightly apart, with your knees bent. Hold your arms up and bent out at the elbow." Bella walked along, correcting posture where needed.

"Okay, good. Now, extend your right arm out to the side, keeping your left arm bent. Move two steps to the right, swaying your hips from side to side, while gently waving your arms in the direction you're moving. Repeat the arm and foot steps in reverse."

We all performed the steps, getting the hang of it fairly quickly.

Bella laughed and clapped her hands in delight. "Hey, you guys, that's great. You're all naturals. Okay, the next steps are the Ami and Uwehe. To dance the Ami, place your hands on your hips. Turn around for 8 counts, swaying your hips as you turn," she said, demonstrating. "Ready? Okay, go. Turn, sway, turn sway," she chanted, as we laughingly learned the step.

Emmett broke formation and ran up behind Rosalie, holding her hips and moving with her suggestively as she moved. I rolled my eyes, but chuckled at my predictably juvenile brother. Mom reached out and smacked his arm, ordering him back to his place in the dance line. Bella didn't mind and just laughed at his boyish behavior.

"Okay, that's great. You all got that one easily, Emmett especially," she remarked drolly. Jasper and I snorted.

"This next step is called the Uwehe and it's a bit more difficult."

Bella demonstrated the step, which was a combination of stomping one foot and then popping both heels up and down, and then repeating with the other foot. This step took a bit more skill and we practiced for 5 minutes – Bella giving Larry some one-on-one attention – before she was satisfied we had all mastered the maneuver.

"Alright, everyone, now we're gonna dance the three steps in order. We start with the Kahalo, then the Ami and finish with the Uwehe, then repeat. Are you ready?"

"Yes," I called out, laughing with delight.

Bella ran lightly onto the verandah – still not quite as graceful as she was before being shot – to pick up the stereo remote. She cycled through the selections until she found the track she wanted and hit play. She ran back, her grass skirts swirling and stood in front of us, this time with her back to us so we could copy her motions if we lost our way.

"The song is called Pearly Shells – Sway a Hula," she called out over the opening chords.

I copied her stance and then her movements as she began to move. She started with a stationary position she hadn't taught us that only required us to hold our arms up in the air and wave them from side to side. I had an absolute ball – we all did, but _Sweet Jesus_, I was as hard as rock in under a minute watching Bella's arms and hips move fluidly through the movements to the music. Watching Bella dance the hula was so sexy. I wondered if she'd dance for me privately later? I licked my lips at the possibilities.

"Again! Again, Miss Bella!" Larry demanded when the song ended. He was grinning from ear to ear with a sense of joie de vivre brought about by a luau Christmas and hula happiness.

After dancing the hula three more times at Larry's insistence, we sat down to partake of dessert. Mom made an old southern favorite of banana pudding – a mixture of sponge cake, custard and banana somewhat reminiscent of an Olde English trifle – and Bella contributed a tropical fruit salad in a bowl carved from a watermelon.

When we retired for the night, everyone agreed that this had been the best Christmas we'd enjoyed for many years, excepting Mom's unexplained dizzy spells. As I snuggled up behind Bella in bed, luxuriating in post-coital bliss, I replayed Bella's dancing of the hula. I was rather proud of myself for convincing her to dance the hula for me privately as I hummed the music. She got through it twice, before I tackled her down onto the bed to have my way with her.

Until she turned the tables on me, that is.

Pushing me onto my back, Bella impaled herself on my dick, and hula-danced me to an explosive orgasm with swaying hips and gently waving arms, naked excepting the plumeria lei caressing her gorgeous pink-tipped breasts.

I was in heaven as I slipped into a deep, satisfied sleep.

…

The next morning, Bella and I walked into the dining room, hands held and brimming with bonhomie. "Good morning," I almost sang. I seated Bella at the table in her usual seat and went to the sideboard for two plates of breakfast. I was surprised at the selection of hot courses. I thought we'd be eating toast and leftover fruit salad, since Mom hadn't been feeling well yesterday. Quirking a brow of inquiry at Dad, he answered my unspoken question.

"She _says_ she's fine. She's been up since 7 o'clock, raring to go," he grumbled.

"Hmm," I intoned, doubtfully.

"She _seems_ perfectly fine," Dad added. "No more dizzy spells or nausea and her energy is restored. I'm fairly certain it was just some type of 24 hour bug."

Jasper interjected. "What, out here?"

Dad nodded. "Yes. Airborne viruses aren't totally unfeasible; or it's possible she ate something that disagreed with her."

I pondered for a moment, exchanging a glance with Jasper. He shrugged.

"Okay, if you're sure?" I said.

Dad nodded tersely. He wasn't _sure_ at all, but the discussion was over … for now.

I sighed inwardly. "Are we still having family meeting this morning?"

Jasper answered. "Yes. None of us of have had a chance to report on what we've found, or talk about any new theories."

"What about …?" Emmett jerked his head toward Larry who was quietly consuming an enormous breakfast, as usual.

Dad looked at me and Jasper for guidance. We exchanged glances and gestures of indecision. I decided we should avoid the topic of the gold. Holding up my hand, I made a circle by touching my index finger to my thumb to indicate the coins, and shook my head negatively. They acknowledged my instruction and we all turned our attention to eating.

…

Dad tossed his notebook onto the table and sat down, sipping from the fresh cup of tea in front of him.

"Okay. This family meeting is called to order. It's the 26th of December, 2012. Larry, we're going to talk about what's been happening on the island. You can stay for it if you'd like, or you can do something else. It's up to you."

He debated internally for a few moments, before nodding once. "I'd like to stay, Dr Pops. Mahalo."

Bella dropped her head, smirking. Larry was making sure that Bella didn't forget about her promise to teach him the Hawaiian language.

"Fine. I'll start with the skull you found in the north of the island. I've studied it closely, reconstructing the skull much like I would a jigsaw. There are some fragments missing, not unsurprisingly, but I'm almost certain the damage was caused by a heavy weapon used with blunt force. It appears that one strike was enough to shatter the skull. Death was likely instantaneous."

"Could you make an educated guess at the murder weapon?" asked Jasper.

"I'd say it was some type of club. I compared the injury site to a drawing of the Hawaiian weapons Bella sketched for us. I can't be positive without the weapon, but I think it's a plausible theory."

"The next question is _why_?" I pointed out. "We haven't found anything that points to pre-emptive hostility against the pirates on the part of the Polynesians. The buildings were intact and their possessions were untouched."

"That suggests the people who lived here weren't at war with the pirates. There must have been another reason for their actions," Bella stated.

"Like what?" Emmett asked.

"Could it have been a skirmish over territory?" Alice posed. "Throughout history, people of different cultures have lived in a kind of tense harmony over the same land, until something turns the tide of tolerance."

"Wow, Allycat, I never knew you were so insightful. Who'd have thunk?" Rosalie teased.

Alice poked her tongue out at Rose in retaliation. "I went to college you know. Just because I majored in fashion, doesn't mean I didn't learn anything academically useful," she defended herself.

"Just kidding, Alice," Rose said, holding her hands up contritely.

Dad interjected before their squabble escalated. "Territorial arguments are a possibility, yes, but something tells me that wasn't the reason."

"Perhaps it was the pirates violation of the tiki's," Bella suggested. "If the islanders found out what the pirates used the idols for, it would have angered them. None of them were made here – the two closest to us weren't anyway. I don't recognize the timber as one traditionally used for carvings." She turned to face me. "Did you recognize the timber of the third tiki, Edward?"

"No, but plants aren't really my area of expertise. Jasper might know what it is." We all looked at Jasper expectantly.

"I think it was some type of pine. I agree with Bella – I haven't seen any pine trees on this island, though they are more common in the south pacific islands. Even if pine was available, it's a soft wood – it wouldn't be any good for carving idols that would stand out in the elements. They'd rot over time."

"Like ours have," Bella said.

"Yes, they're quite brittle and succumbing to rot. I'm actually surprised they're still in such good condition," Jasper noted.

"All of these are excellent theories," Dad agreed, "but if the locals were angry with the pirates over some perceived wrong against them, I think you'd have seen more destruction of the pirate's village."

"They prob'ly sick like in pirate movies," Larry offered.

I cocked my head to stare at Larry. Sometimes he was incredibly perceptive. Maybe it was because he hadn't learned to disregard the impractical or unusual.

"That's actually a very real possibility," Dad agreed excitedly. "Good thinking, Larry!" he praised. Larry beamed. "If the pirates brought disease to the island, they may have infected the Polynesians. It might also explain why they left. If they thought the island wasn't safe anymore, it's feasible they wouldn't have stayed here. Bella?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, that's very possible. The Polynesian fishing village is also mostly intact. They may have taken their possessions and paddled away in canoes – after killing the pirates first."

"Wouldn't they have come back some time, though?" Rosalie posed to Bella.

"Maybe, but then again maybe not. If they thought the island was tabu, they would have stayed away from here."

"That doesn't explain why the island remains unsettled now, though," added Alice. "It's been 250 years. Surely the disease is long gone, if in fact it was disease the pirates brought with them?"

Dad shook his head. "Some disease will never be eradicated. It can survive on animals, especially rodents. The fleas that inhabit rodents can bite other animals and even humans, passing on the disease to others. Plague in particular is spread in this manner."

Eight horrified faces stared at my father.

"You're _not_ kidding, are you, Carlisle?" gasped Mom. She looked like she might vomit.

I stood up to get her some water. "Here, sip this, Mom. I'm positive Dad didn't _mean_ to imply that there was plague on Isabella Island, _did you_, Dad?"

Dad's eyes widened as he realized his error. "No! No, of course not. It was only an example, just not a helpful one." He sighed. "It may have been something we consider commonplace today, like measles, or chicken pox. Unfortunately, the Polynesians wouldn't have been exposed to them before and they would have lacked any immunity."

Alice giggled in nervous relief, holding her hand over her pounding heart. "Don't scare us like that, Carlisle!"

He coughed. "Sorry. I cannot be certain, however, I don't believe there is plague on this island. None of us have shown any signs of the disease and we've all been bitten by fleas and other insects."

"Let's move on, shall we?" I suggested. "I've studied the painting I brought back. I managed to clean off the soot and grime to expose the name of the ship. It was named MORTE – it's Portuguese meaning death, which is rather ironic given our recent conversation," I imparted. "Jimmy's ship is MORTE II."

"A clear connection, then," stated Emmett.

I nodded, swallowing a quick sip of water from the glass in front of me. "Yes. But, what confuses me is the news report that said MORTE II wasn't owned by Jimmy or Vivi, yet he apparently named the ship. Why is that?"

"Perhaps if he needed someone to bankroll his search, naming the ship was his condition for splitting the booty," Mom suggested.

Rose added her opinion. "Jimmy did say this was _his _island. Maybe he meant that what was _here_ belonged to him, rather than the island itself."

"How did he know where _here_ was, though?" pressed Emmett.

Bella chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Perhaps using historical information, technology and deductive logic. Most passenger or merchant ships were registered even 250 years ago. Pirate ships probably weren't but most of them were well known and would have been documented in historical records. If one of the pirates was an ancestor of Jimmy's, he might have had access to a personal journal."

"That seems plausible," Mom agreed. "I had a journal when I was younger. All of my daily activities, plans and dreams for the future were meticulously recorded."

Jasper addressed me. "Edward, didn't you find some personal journals in the captains chest along with the log book?"

"Yes."

"Then it's possible the captain – if indeed _he_ was Jimmy's ancestor – might have left behind journals detailing his plans, _before_ he set sail," posited Jasper.

"And they were obviously _seen_ in the Pacific since they collected Polynesian tiki's made from pine timber," added Bella.

My head bobbed as I considered the possibilities. "The pirates may have made the idols themselves, since they'd been hollowed to hide the g..." _Ouch!_ Jasper kicked me under the table.

Bella smirked at me knowingly. "That would explain a lot," she stated. "I've identified the two closest to us as Kamapua'a the hog-child – he was Pele's nemesis, and _Kanaloa__ the __god _of death, darkness, water, and squid – rather appropriate for a group of pirates. They might have thought it was fortuitous."

"What about the one Jasper and I found?" I asked her.

"It's not one I recognize. It's almost as though they just made it up. They probably thought that most white people wouldn't know the difference if they came upon the idol."

I blew out a gust of breath. "Well, it makes as much sense as anything we've come up with."

Dad looked up from his scribbling. "What did you find in the small captains chest?"

"A miniature portrait of a woman – it may have been a likeness of his wife. There are three more journals, all written in Portuguese, but I can't decipher any of it. There's a small sack of gunpowder and flints for the flintlock guns we found, but it's useless. There's too much degradation of the components in the mixture."

Mom raised a brow of incredulity. "Do I _want _to know how you know that?" she demanded.

I coughed into my fist. "No," I muttered honestly. Bella glared at me furiously. She shot me a _'you're not out of trouble yet'_ expression. I coughed again and changed the subject. "So, that's about it. We know more than we did before, but not enough to know _who _might _want _it now, other than Jimmy."

"Maybe it's Jimmy's friend, Mr Vulture," Larry imparted.

For the second time this morning, Larry had said something incredibly useful. He really did know more than he realized. I turned to him eagerly, trying not to frighten him.

"Larry, do you know what Mr Vulture looks like?"

"Nah. I never met him. I just knowed Jimmy always was talkin' to him."

"Do you remember what Jimmy might have said?" I asked, tamping down my excitement with difficulty.

"I only heared one talk, Mr Red. Jimmy told me to mind my business when he caught me. He always closed the door on me after that first time."

Dad leaned forward resting his forearms on the table. "What do you remember, Larry?" he asked softly.

"I remember Jimmy askin' for more time. He told Mr Vulture he couldn't find somethin'."

"When was this, Larry?" Dad asked.

He screwed up his face while thinking. "Long time ago, Dr Pops. It was just after me mum's foonral. I remember cuz Vivi wanted to take me home, but Jimmy said no cuz he had his new orders."

"Is that how you ended up with Jimmy and Vivi?" Rose asked him.

"Yes, Miss Rose."

I stroked my bottom lip pensively, while I pondered MORTE II. She was built and outfitted like a military ship. Her weapons were certainly military and so was the dynamite we'd found. Only governments and defense contractors had access to military weaponry and technology. A private purchase was _supposed_ to be impossible, not to mention fantastically expensive.

There was only one possible conclusion: Jimmy's benefactor, Mr Vulture was very, very wealthy, and extremely well connected.

…

Over the following few days, I tried to recall as much as I could about MORTE II. I also questioned Larry relentlessly over interminable games of coits and hours of fishing. I made a record of every single thing he told me, even if it seemed incongruous or stupid. With each new piece of information, I became more certain than ever that we were dealing with someone more dangerous than Jimmy or even Vivi. What I didn't understand, was _why_ they attacked Victory, or _why_ Jimmy played cat and mouse with Bella and Rosalie. It just didn't make _any _sense whatsoever.

…

The next day, I abandoned Larry in favor of Bella, who complained she was feeling neglected. Deciding that a trip to the grotto was in order, I asked Mom to help me with a picnic lunch for Bella. When I entered the kitchen, Mom was chowing down on toast like she was starving. Whatever was on it looked disgusting, but Mom evidently enjoyed it.

"What is that, Mom? It looks awful," I said, making a face of disgust.

"Larry's Vegemite and fig jam. It's quite tasty," she told me with authority. _Whatever you say, Mom!_

"Okaaay. Um, do we have any leftovers I can have for a picnic? We're going to the grotto."

Mom shoved a piece of toast into her mouth and grabbed another one, before strolling to the fridge. She pulled a bowl of shrimp salad, some pork and tomatoes from its depths. She measured half the shrimp salad into a container, wrapped the pork in banana leaves and threw the whole lot into a basket. Almost as an afterthought, she added half a loaf of bread and a mango.

"Here you are, dear," she mumbled, pushing the basket toward me casually. After consuming all of the toast, Mom started on the remaining portion of shrimp salad. "Have a good day," she offered, waving me away with a loaded fork.

Frowning, I left the kitchen in search of Bella, running into Dad in the foyer.

"What's wrong with Mom?"

Dad was plainly startled. "What do mean?"

"She's eating like a horse – three pieces of toast with a truly disgusting topping, and now she's polishing off leftover shrimp salad."

"She's probably just hungry. You going out?"

"Yeah, I'm taking Bella to the grotto. We should be back in a few hours."

"Okay, be careful. I'll see you later."

"Yep. Bye, Dad."

Bella was thrilled with our impromptu trip to the grotto. We didn't swim, but we did sit on the side of the pool, swishing our feet in the water. We basked in the sun, napped and made love in the shade of the fern garden. When her stomach rumbled hungrily, we partook of the food in the picnic basket. Bella chose the shrimp salad, consuming it so greedily, I didn't have the heart to ask her for any. I made do with leftover pork and tomato in a sandwich.

"Can I have some of that bread?"

I handed it to her, then watched as she tore off huge chunks to wipe out the bowl with obvious relish. _What is it today about shrimp salad? _When she finished, Bella carelessly discarded the bowl and licked her lips, burping indelicately. I almost flinched. A lack of manners is so unlike her. Bella was so very ladylike in public.

"Hmm, that was good. Aaaaahhh," she yawned suddenly. Her eyes drooped tiredly. "Oh, I'm so sleepy. Can we go back, Edward? I might have a nap before dinner."

_She was already thinking about dinner? She'd just finished a huge lunch. She couldn't possibly still be hungry, could she?_

I shrugged and stood up, gathering our rubbish. Leaning down, I offered her a hand to help her to her feet. "Come on, princess. Let's get you home and into bed," I said, chuckling.

…

Barely half a day later, in the early hours of New Years Eve morning, I was roused by Bella as she shot from the bed, and raced for the door with her hand clamped over her mouth.

"Bella! What's wrong? Are you sick?" I screamed at her.

She ignored me as she wrenched uselessly at the door in her haste to get out of the room. Throwing back the covers, I leaped from the bed and bounded after her just as she flung the door open and ran into the bathroom. The door slammed in my face and I heard the lock turn. Three seconds later the sound of violent retching sounded from the room.

It went on and on and on.

I swallowed sympathetically for what she was going through, as my mouth filled with saliva. Tapping on the door gently, I called out to her, my voice laced with concern.

"Bella?" No response.

"Bella, honey? Are you okay in there?

Violent retching, but still no verbal response.

I knocked louder. "Bella, I'm coming in!" I stated firmly.

"NO!" came Bella's and my mother's wan voices from the room.

_My mother! What the fuck?_

Abandoning the door, I changed tactics and strode toward my parents room, barging through the door without knocking. This was an emergency. There was no time for politeness! Striding over to my fathers side of the bed, I leaned down and shook his shoulder insistently to wake him.

"Dad … Dad! … DAD!"

He moaned and rolled over. "What! What is it, Edward?" he groaned sleepily. "It's the middle of the night."

"Mom and Bella are both throwing up in the bathroom. I think they're sick."

Dad's eyes shot open and he sat up, ramrod straight in the bed. Throwing back the covers, he paused and I turned around, so he could climb naked from the bed and into his bathrobe.

"How do you know they're both in there?" he asked me, as we hurriedly walked down the hallway to the bathroom.

"Well, there was a lot of retching noise and when I told Bella I was coming in, both she and Mom told me no."

Dad knocked on the door. "Esme, Bella? Can I come in?" Moans of distress sounded through the closed door. Dad pushed on the door lever without success.

"Bella locked it," I told him.

"Go get the key from my office desk," he ordered. I nodded and flew down the stairs, switching on the desk lamp so I could see in the dim room. Rummaging around in the drawer, I found the master key and flew back upstairs with it held aloft in my hand. Dad took it from me and inserted it without ceremony, pushing the door open. What confronted us was startling to say the least.

Bella was hunched limply over one of the basins where she'd obviously emptied her stomach, and Mom - she was was semi-collapsed on the floor in front of the commode where she'd apparently emptied hers.

Both of them were damp-faced with perspiration and weak from their body's violent expulsions.

"Oh, God," Mom moaned from the floor. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think I was pregnant," she announced pitifully.

Dad's eyebrows rose into his hairline and then he paled as his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"Oh, shit," he mumbled.

I stared at my old man with disbelief. _Huh?_

…

A/N: Do you think Esme's right?

Btw, _before_ I took the plot in this possible direction – and it's only a possible direction as it depends on reader response to the idea – I researched the possibilities of a late-in-life pregnancy for Esme. As long as a woman is still ovulating while transitioning to menopause, she will continue to menstruate, so pregnancy is still possible, if rare. The oldest western woman to fall pregnant naturally while transitioning to menopause was 53. She has a healthy boy who is now a rambunctious toddler. There are other reported cases of menopausal women as old as 60 falling pregnant. In the west, most women transition to menopause between the ages of 40 and 61 with an average age at cessation of the menstrual cycle, of 51. My own mother was about 53. In Wrecked, Esme is 57. So, my faithful readers, it's entirely up to you. Do you _want_ to see Esme and Carlisle become parents again to a late-in-life baby? Drop me a review and let me know.

Lots and lots of **Christmas photos are on my blog** and the link is jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com

Voting on the **wedding ring poll **has recorded 108 votes. If you haven't already voted on Edward and Bella's wedding rings, click on the post that says 'ring poll' on my blog and have your say. Voting closes on Sunday 2nd of December. The winning rings will be used in the story. At this stage, I estimate the wedding celebration will be two chapters away.

**Joie de vivre ** is French, meaning '_joy of living' _or to express a_ 'cheerful enjoyment of life_; an exultation of spirit.

**Hawaiian words**: Aloha is pronounced ah-low-hah / Mahalo is pronounced ma-hah-low. Kalua (as in the pork) is pronounced kah-loo-ah

**Hula **dance: Kahalo is pronounced ka-hah-low / Ami is pronounced ah-me / Uwehe is pronounced oo-way-hay. On my blog are two youtube clips. The first one is a sound clip of Pearly Shells from the movie 'Donavan's Reef' made in 1963. The other is a video clip (including some dialogue) from the same movie and a hula dance is included, though not the want Bella taught the Cullen's.


	37. Chapter 37 - Is She or Isn't She?

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: The reader response to chapter 36 was phenomenal – the highest number of reviews ever. Thanks, you guys – you've no idea how receiving reviews keeps a writer going. I've been re-reading some of the earlier chapters, and I've noticed how much my writing has grown and changed in the past year. I want to thank all of you for sticking with me. Chapter 37 begins with Edward's POV as normal, but changes to Carlisle's POV for the remainder of the chapter.

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Chapter 37 – Is She or Isn't She?

Dad's head snapped around when I gasped. He narrowed his eyes at me dangerously.

"Say _nothing _to anyone," he ordered, his index finger in my face warningly. I nodded dumbly, a little afraid of my father in that moment.

"Help Bella into bed while I see to your mother. I'll let you know when I want to examine her." I nodded again, swallowing with difficulty. "Give her water to sip, but don't let her gulp it."

"Alright."

"And keep a bucket by the bed in case she vomits again."

"Yes, sir," I said. "Um, what do you think is wrong with them?" I asked, almost timidly.

Dad's face was implacable. "I don't know, exactly. It could be food poisoning, or it could be something else. Help Bella to bed, and I'll see you both as soon as possible."

I nodded. Striding to a weakened Bella, I picked her up in my arms and carried her back to bed. The next few hours were endless as I waited for Dad to call us. I brought her a damp face washer from the bathroom and a bottle of water, which she sipped from intermittently as she dozed. She wasn't sick again until she woke up at around seven. After that, she insisted on getting out of bed to make some breakfast.

"They can make their own breakfast, Bella!" I said. I tried my damnedest to stop her from dressing. "You're ill – you should rest," I insisted, trying to lead her back to the bed.

She scowled at me, tugging on her arm. "I know they can make their own breakfast, Edward," she snapped. "Breakfast is for me – I'm hungry!"

I blinked, relaxing my grip slightly. "But you're sick," I responded blankly. "You just vomited," I reminded her.

Bella took advantage of my confusion to pull her arm free, dressing quickly. "I know, but I feel fine now, and I'm hungry."

"But you're sick," I repeated.

She sighed irritably. "Geez, Edward. I feel fine now. Please, don't fuss!" _Where had I heard that __recently?__ "_Come on, it's New Years Eve, don't be a downer, baby," she pouted. Walking over to me, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me.

I tried a different tactic. "Mom's sick as well." I rubbed her back soothingly. I was pretty certain it made me feel better, more than it did Bella.

"Yeah, I know. It was probably the shrimp salad," she said dismissively.

I looked at her curiously. Hadn't she heard Mom's offhand declaration in the bathroom? "Um, what about what Mom said? Do … um … do you think it could be that – for us, I mean?" I heard a hint of hope in my voice. I don't know when the desire to become a father had arisen, but the emotion was definitely within me.

She frowned as though trying to remember. "What did Esme say? I didn't hear anything."

Swallowing, I brushed off her question. "Nothing, Bella – it's not important. Let's get you your breakfast, okay, but do me a favor, will you?" She nodded. "Take it easy today?"

"Fine. Now, let's go – I'm starving."

…

**Carlisle's POV**

As Edward tended to Bella, I hurried to my Esme where she sat on the floor in front of the commode. Her face was pale and clammy I noted, as she clung to me despondently.

"I'm sorry I told you not to fuss, Carlisle," she sobbed in my arms. "What's _wrong_ with me?"

"Shssh," I comforted her. "We'll talk when I examine you."

As I heard Edward and Bella's bedroom door close, I prepared to help my wife – my possibly _pregnant_ wife – off the floor of the bathroom. My God, how could I have been so stupid! We'd just assumed that since she hadn't had a period for nearly 10 months, she'd finally begun the menopause stage of her life. I should have known better – I'm a doctor for Christ sake! I know that at least 12 months must pass without a menstrual cycle before assuming that pregnancy is no longer a possibility.

I sighed inwardly as I picked her up in my arms and took her back into our bedroom to recover. If she _is _pregnant, I wasn't about to risk falling down the narrow, steep staircase while I carried her.

Pregnant!

I can't begin to fathom the idea or what it would mean for us. We are 58 and 57 years old respectively. We were about to become grandparents. This time of our life was supposed to be a new beginning. A time when we could think about retiring, about traveling, about doting on our grandchildren. I _wanted_ to tee off at the golf course at 5 am, not change diapers or clean up baby vomit.

More importantly, Esme isn't a young woman any longer. Yes, she is strong and healthy – probably healthier than she'd been in years – but she is still older than most women who went through a change-of-life pregnancy. As I laid her on our bed, I wondered if the healthy lifestyle might have made it easier for her to fall pregnant naturally. All of our food and water was pure, fresh and uncontaminated by pesticides or other pollutants.

Not that any of that was the deciding ingredient – if indeed she _is _pregnant – because all it takes is a fertile egg and a single fertile sperm to meet in the middle. Boom, bam – a baby is conceived. The fertilized egg takes root in the lush lining of the uterus and as long as the developing embryo and the mother are healthy, a viable pregnancy occurs – age isn't necessarily a factor.

Placing her on the bed, I poured her a glass of water from the carafe on her side table.

"Sip this, Esme, while I get you a cool face washer."

"Okay," she squeaked miserably. "Could you bring me a bucket, please, Carlisle?"

I stroked her face gently. "Do you want to be sick again?"

"No, but just in case …"

I nodded. "I'll be back in a moment." I stood up and strode to the door. As I walked through it, I'm certain I heard her mumble, "Damn that shrimp salad!"

I hoped it was bad shrimp, and immediately felt guilty for wishing my wife had food poisoning. But, that prospect was better than an unplanned pregnancy on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no prospects for imminent rescue. If she was 10 years younger, there'd be fewer risks to worry about. At her age, without access to medical treatment and technology, the thought is terrifying.

I couldn't lose Esme!

Wringing out a face washer in the second bathroom basin, I noticed the mess in the other one where Bella had vomited. Most of it had dissipated down the drain, but it still needed to be cleaned and I didn't want anyone else to find it. I decided to come back and clean up the mess as soon as I had Esme resting comfortably.

When I reentered the bedroom, Esme was curled up on her side, asleep. Her water glass was clutched in her hand resting against the mattress and her stomach. Her stomach. I narrowed my eyes as I zeroed in on the area. There is a slight roundness apparent under the long t-shirt nightgown she wore. Her breasts – always full – looked larger and firmer. How could I not notice those changes in her body? A body I knew better than any other. The body of the only woman I had made love to in 35 years since first meeting her.

Sitting beside her on the bed, I laid the folded wash cloth against her perspiring forehead. Lifting the water glass up, I set it back on the side table, noting absently that she'd drank about half of it. Good. She needed to replace fluids. Checking her pulse, I was pleased that it was normal. That meant her body was recovering from the shock of vomiting.

Dressing quickly, I returned to the bathroom to remove the evidence from the basin and the commode. It's a messy job, but someone had to do it. Returning to the house from the cesspit, I detoured via the laundry for cleaning supplies and another commode basin. On my way through the house, I noticed with surprise, Rose lying out on the sofa. The TV was on with the volume turned down so as not to wake the household.

Pausing, I walked toward her. "Are you okay, Rosalie?"

She startled and looked toward me. "Oh, Carlisle. You scared me. I didn't wake you, did I?" she asked, looking with curiosity at the items I held. I let my hands drop to my side, trying to hide them.

"No, no. Why are you up? Can't you sleep?"

"No. I'm uncomfortable – the baby's pressing on my back." She fidgeted and grimaced, adding weight to her explanation. "And Emmett's snoring more than usual."

She _was_ rather bigger than I thought she would be at not quite 5 months pregnant. Good god, I hope it's not a multiple pregnancy!

"Alright, but I want to check on you later. Try to get some sleep if you can," I told her. Turning to leave, I swung back to say, "Tell Emmett to roll over. That's what his brothers used to do when they went camping."

She chuckled. "I tried that – many times – but I think he had one too many daiquiris. He's quite toasted," she remarked.

I scowled. "I told Esme that making that much daiquiri mix for Christmas was a mistake. It's one thing to eat leftovers the week before New Years, and another thing entirely to drink them."

Rosalie snorted. "Try telling that to Emmett … and Jasper. They've both been imbibing with great enjoyment. Don't be too hard on them, Carlisle – I think their hangovers in the morning will be punishment enough, and it's not like they've had a drink in months. Most other young men in our situation would have consumed every drop of liquor in the first month."

I considered the truth in her statement, sighing in understanding. "Alright. Do me a favor, will you?" She nodded. "Get rid of the remaining mix – either pour it down the drain or hide it in the back of the fridge where they won't find it. It's not mixed with mango juice is it?"

"Nope."

"We probably shouldn't waste it, then. Hide it. Goodnight, Rosalie."

"'Night, Carlisle."

…

I sat beside Esme until she woke naturally at around 7 am. I spent the last two hours monitoring her vital signs and going over the symptoms she'd presented since Bella's birthday. Esme has been dizzy, hot, nauseous, irritable and emotional – all symptoms that might indicate one of two conditions … _if_ I disregard food poisoning.

One – she is exhibiting signs of the menopause, and perhaps, finally, the cessation of menstruation. Other than the odd hot flash these past few months, Esme hadn't had a period in nearly a year – 10 months if I calculate precisely. In fact, she's been as healthy as a horse and full of life. The hormone replacement therapy kept her stable and she swore she felt wonderful. Of course, she'd run out of the HRT medication a few months ago, but still … she hasn't shown any ill effects from not taking it.

Two – she is pregnant at 57. We've tried to be careful, but it's hard to be certain when you have no regular cycle to calculate the likelihood of fertility. All it took was one moment of madness at just the right time – that being the release of a viable ovum and the presence of sperm with optimum motility.

God dammit! I _knew_ I should have had that vasectomy a decade ago.

I sighed, rubbing my aching forehead.

Esme and I talked about me having a vasectomy when she reached her late 40's. I didn't want her to continue taking the contraceptive pill and I hated condoms. Not to mention they weren't always 100% foolproof. So, I figured the old nip and tuck of the male plumbing was in order.

We researched different options and in the end we – or rather Esme – decided to use a combination of the mini-pill for a few more years and I'd wear condoms. Esme didn't want me to have the vasectomy for some reason. I tried to convince her otherwise, but she wouldn't have it. I never could figure out why, and she refused to elaborate on her reasoning.

In any event, her gynecologist only permitted her to continue taking the pill because she was so healthy, but that came to end when she turned 50. We'd been exclusively using condoms for 7 years since then while her body wound down it's fertility. Selfishly, I conceded that the past few months had been the best sex we've enjoyed since we'd started using them, and I hadn't been sorry to see the end of them.

Except, now I _am_ sorry, if indeed, Esme _is_ pregnant.

It's not that I don't love my children, because I do, but I'm worried for Esme out here in the middle of nowhere. The risks to her and the child are enormous. I have no medical equipment to deal with a high risk pregnancy, or a premature birth, if that should happen.

If something occurred and the baby should die because _I couldn't save it_, Esme would be devastated. If something should happen and Esme died because _I couldn't save her_, then _I_ would be devastated.

I know with everything in me that if Esme _is_ pregnant, she won't consider any other option. Even if I did feel comfortable performing such a procedure, out here, without a sterile environment, it was far too risky. The threat of infection or uncontrolled hemorrhaging simply isn't worth it, unless Esme's life is in immediate danger.

Esme is the quintessential mother. She loved being pregnant. She'd had three untroubled, textbook perfect pregnancies. Each time, she'd sailed through the labor and subsequent deliveries with nary a problem. I used to tease her that her hips were perfect for child bearing. She'd just laughed and smiled to herself, secretly pleased with her blessings.

We'd tried for another baby in the decade following Edward's birth, doing nothing to prevent pregnancy, but it didn't happen for us. Esme wanted a little girl, and secretly I did also, but as the years passed by without another pregnancy, we just stopped trying to add to our family. Both Esme and I were tested by fertility experts and the prognosis was unanimous – there was nothing _wrong_ with either of us. It just seemed like our luck had ended.

By the time Esme turned 37, we decided to stop trying to have another baby, and Esme went back onto birth control pills until she turned 50. She returned to her career as a curator at a small privately owned gallery in Honolulu. Now, nearly twenty years after giving up on our chances of having another baby, it seems we might have been blessed with the elusive fourth pregnancy.

Esme rousing from her sleep broke into my reverie. I leaned forward, resting a hand on either side of her body.

"Esme?" I called quietly.

"Hmm."

I stroked the side of her face. She was cool now and no longer clammy. "How are you, sweetheart?"

She stretched on the bed, blinking slowly as she came to full consciousness. "Oh, I feel okay, I think. I'm still tired."

"That's good, my darling. When you wake up properly, I want to examine you, okay? I need you to come down to my office," I told her softly, but with an edge of steel in my tone that she knew not to argue with.

She stared at me worriedly. "What do you think is wrong with me, Carlisle? I-I'm scared – I'm never sick, Carlisle – you know that."

"Shssh," I cooed, stroking her forehead. "Have some water," I suggested, offering her the glass from the side table. She sipped obediently.

"Esme, how long have you been experiencing dizziness and nausea?"

Her eyes shifted away from mine nervously.

"Esme?" I said sternly. "Look at me." She turned her face back to mine bravely. "How long?"

"Um, about 10 days or so," she confessed softly.

I was shocked. "Ten days! And you didn't _say_ anything to me. I thought it was just the last few days since Christmas."

"No – um, a bit longer than that," she confirmed guiltily.

I gritted my teeth furiously, stopping myself from yelling at her. Right now, her emotional and physical health is more important than my desire to scold her.

I narrowed my eyes at my Esme. She knew that look. It was an expression that she knew meant nothing less than honesty and full disclosure would be tolerated. Her eyes lowered to stare at her water glass like it was something wondrous. Her evasive tactics would be useless against me.

"How often have you been having dizzy spells, Esme?" I bit out.

"Every day just about."

"How many? I reached across the bed for the notebook and pen on my bedside table.

"A couple of times per day … um … usually when I move too quickly. At first I thought it was just vertigo."

I paused in my scribbling. "What changed your mind?"

"I was dizzy when I was sitting or lying down," she confessed, "as though I had a mild hangover. It felt like my center of gravity had shifted 2 feet forward."

"Hmm." My mouth thinned into an irritable line.

"Don't look at me like that, Carlisle! It's probably just the menopause causing my symptoms."

I felt my eyebrows disappear into my hairline. "Then _why_ did you remark that you thought you might be pregnant?"

Esme gasped. "I didn't say I _was_ pregnant; I said that if I didn't _know_ better I'd think I was pregnant. There's a difference," she huffed.

I ignored her semantics. "How often have you been nauseated?" She hesitated. "The truth, Esme!"

"Every day."

"Have you vomited before this morning?"

She swallowed nervously. "Yes, but just a few times," she hastened to assure me.

"When?" She remained tight-lipped and I lost all patience with her. "Esme! You need to tell me the truth," I scolded her tersely. "I can't diagnose or treat your condition if I don't have all the details. Now, _when_ have you vomited?"

"Since Bella's birthday, alright! Since Bella's birthday!" she yelled at me, before dissolving into sobs of self pity.

At least a week. That was more than a 'few' times. How could I have missed this? My wife is adept at hiding things from me, I realized. She was far more skilled that I'd given her credit for. Throwing the notebook onto the bed, I gathered my sobbing Maisy into my arms, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Shssh, Esme, shssh. It's going to be okay." We remained that way until Esme's sobs quieted, and her pulse slowed to normal. If she is pregnant, then erratic surges in her heart rate that were unrelated to exercise are not healthy for her or the baby. Pulling back, I picked up the corner of the sheet to wipe her tears.

"Do you feel up to coming downstairs to my office, darling? I need to give you an examination." She sniffed, jerkily nodding her head in agreement. "It will be thorough, Esme," I warned her.

"I understand."

I stood up. "Do you need help?"

She shook her head. "No, but I want to use the bathroom first."

"Alright, go on then." I helped her out of bed, and steadied her when she swayed dizzily. As we entered the hallway on our way to the bathroom, we ran into Edward and Bella who were heading downstairs.

"Hold on, you two," I called out, as Esme walked into the bathroom. They turned around to face me. "How are you feeling, Bella?"

She shrugged. "Good – fit as a fiddle. We're just heading down for some breakfast."

My back molars ground together angrily. I felt a nervous tick begin to pulse in the side of my mouth. These blasted women needed to stop with the evasive tactics!

"Any more vomiting, Bella?" She shrugged again. My gaze swung to my youngest son. "Edward!"

He coughed. "Yes, um … once more when she woke this morning – at around 7."

My eyes narrowed on Bella. I don't think the problem is food poisoning – most poisoning made itself known within 4 to 6 hours of ingesting the contaminated product. Esme should have been sick by mid afternoon yesterday, and Bella by early evening – but they weren't. They ate dinner last night – consuming the same meal we all did – and neither became sick until early this morning. If it is food poisoning, we'd all be sick, but we aren't. I was fine; so was Edward and Rosalie seemed fine when I spoke to her earlier.

"Just dry toast and tea, Bella. As soon as I've examined Esme, I want to see you."

She looked aghast. "Oh, but ..."

I cut her off, almost yelling. "No excuses, young lady! I'm training you, and you _know_ better," I rebuked.

She lowered her eyes to the floor guiltily. "Yes, sir," she mumbled.

"Don't go anywhere," I added. "I'll call you when I'm ready." She nodded and then disappeared down the stairs, tugging Edward behind her.

"What was that all about?" Esme asked, as she came out of the bathroom.

I looked down at her. She'd washed her face and combed her hair with the Koa wood comb she received for Christmas from Jasper and Alice. She looked marginally better.

"Nothing. I want to examine Bella, since she was sick as well. You both ate the shrimp salad. Did anyone else eat it?"

"Alice had some at lunchtime."

"What about Rosalie?"

She shook her head. "No, Rose is only eating hot seafood since she became pregnant. The only exception was Thanksgiving."

I strode down the hall to knock on Alice and Jasper's bedroom door. Jasper came to the door sleepily.

"Yeah, what is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. He looked bleary-eyed and hung over. His skin was tight and dry in appearance. I found it difficult to summon any sympathy.

"Esme says that Alice ate the shrimp salad yesterday. Has she been ill?"

Jasper looked back at his sleeping wife curled up in their bed. He'd pulled the sheet over her shoulders before answering the door. She looked fine, sleeping deeply with no signs of sickness.

"It doesn't seem so," he replied. "Why Dad, what's wrong?"

"Your mother and Bella are sick. They both had the shrimp salad. If Alice complains of nausea, dizziness or vomiting, let me know immediately."

"Sure thing, Dad. Are they okay – Mom and Bella?"

"Yes, they will be." I turned around to walk back to Esme, pausing to swing back to Jasper. "Drink some water – you're dehydrated, and for God's sake, stay clear of the daiquiri mix for a few days." His eyes widened at being discovered. "I've got enough to deal with right now, without worrying over you and your older brother."

"Yes, sir. I'll take care of Emmett."

"You _do_ that," I spat. Swiveling around, I walked back to Esme where she waited for me at the top of the stairs. I heard Jasper's door close quietly behind me.

"Carlisle." Esme's tone was admonishing as I took her hand to walk slowly down the stairs. "Please don't take your anger with me out on the kids. It's not their fault I'm sick."

"No, but their own behavior is their fault. Emmett and Jasper have been swilling that daiquiri mix nightly since Christmas. They need to be more responsible. A drink here or there is fine, but they've been determined to finish every last drop of it. Enough is enough … and, I'm not angry with you – not anymore – I'm just worried," I assured her.

Passing through the foyer on the way to my office, I popped my head into the lounge. Rosalie was asleep on one of the sofas. Larry was lying on the other one watching early morning cartoons. He'd thoughtfully kept the volume down to a low hum, so it wouldn't wake her. My head turned in the direction of the dining room following the sounds of Edward and Bella making breakfast in the kitchen.

I nodded, satisfied that all was as right as I could make it, before leading Esme into my office.

"Please disrobe, Esme and put on this gown, with the ties to the front of you." I handed the folded cotton examination garment to her. While she did that, I walked to the basin and began washing my hands. This was the only basin we'd managed to plumb with running hot water. Pulling on a pair of surgical gloves, I turned around to find Esme trying to get up onto the exam table. It was a bit high for her without the step stool. Feeling around with my foot under the bed, I pulled it out for her.

"Thank you," she said hoarsely.

"Any breast tenderness, Esme?" I asked when she was settled. She lay back against the white sheet, clutching the gown closed in front of her. She was nervous, I realized curiously, though I suppose being examined by your husband is radically different to the intimacy experienced during lovemaking. I pulled the rolling stool toward me with my foot, and sat down beside her. I hoped my less threatening stance would relax her. It seemed to work a little.

"Yes, maybe a little, but not uncomfortably so. The skin is a bit itchy though, as if it's stretched too tight."

"Mm hmm," I said noncommittally.

"Any discharge from the nipples?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Have you felt any lumps in the breast tissue or in your arm pits?"

"No, and I've been regular with my self-exams." I hadn't felt any either, and I examined them regularly also – last night while we made love, being the most recent. Other than idly noticing an extra fullness, they felt and looked perfectly normal.

"Alright. Are you urinating normally?" She frowned in confusion. I hastened to clarify. "Are you urinating less, more or much the same as usual?"

Understanding dawned across her face. "Maybe a little more than normal, but not unusually so."

"Alright Esme, I'm going to examine you now. Are you okay with that?" I asked her. She nodded her acquiescence nervously. "Good. Don't be scared, Esme. I know this is a new experience for you, but we don't have a choice if I'm going to diagnose your condition with any reliability." Esme didn't know it, and I don't always realize when I do it, but I'd been taking note of the changes in her body when we made love, for three and half decades.

She sighed. "I know, Carlisle. It's silly, but having my husband perform the role of gynecologist is a bit nerve racking – it's so … intimate, and my doctor is so dispassionate about it." She voiced the same concerns I'd thought about a few minutes ago. I needed a way to release her tension.

"Tell me a joke, Esme," I suggested, "that way you'll be distracted."

"A joke?"

"Yes. Larry was telling you some the other day – tell me one of those."

"Um, okay."

"I'm going to start by examining your breasts and stomach."

"Okay," she squeaked.

"Tell me the joke," I reminded her, as I parted the robe to begin my examination.

"_W-why doesn't Tasmania float away?"_

"I don't know; why doesn't Tasmania float away?"

"_B-because Victoria Sucks!"_

I smiled. That sounded like a Larry joke. "Tell me another one," I said as I moved from her breasts to her stomach.

"_W-what's the difference between Adelaide and the crisper tray in my fridge?"_

"I don't know, what is the difference?"

"_M-my crisper tray has a night life."_

"I don't get it."

"Neither did I, but apparently, Adelaide is a bit slower than Melbourne or Sydney."

"Ah." I pressed gently against her stomach feeling for changes.

"_W-why __isn't there a U in QANTAS"_

"I don't know. Why isn't there a U in Qantas?"

"_B-because Air New Zealand has them all."_

Huh? "Oh, because of all the sheep in New Zealand."

"Yes," she giggled.

I pulled my hands back and closed the robe, sighing deeply. I felt confident about my diagnosis, even without performing an internal exam. Sitting beside her, I took her hand in mine.

She gulped nervously. "What did you find?"

"Esme, your uterus feels enlarged. I can't be certain without doing an internal exam, but the changes in your body, coupled with your symptoms …"

She clutched at my hand. "What!"

"I'm fairly confident that you are indeed pregnant – about 9 weeks, I'd say."

Esme's mouth opened and closed like a stunned fish on land, and then she sat up on the bed to stare at me, dumbfounded.

"Pregnant!"

"How can I be pregnant, Carlisle? I'm 57 years old and I haven't had a period in nearly a year," she shrieked at me. "This is all your fault," she spat unfairly, then dissolved into tears.

I tried to comfort her, ignoring her emotional accusation, but she fought me, struggling to accept what I'd come to suspect since early this morning. She really had quipped about pregnancy without realizing the actual possibility. When she calmed down, I explained the progression of menopause to her. I know she knew the details, but she needed me to remind her of the possibilities when there was no certainty that menstrual cycles had ceased.

She flopped back onto the bed, her prior nervousness gone. "Do the internal exam," she demanded, letting her legs fall open.

I did as she demanded, moving to the foot of the bed. "Scoot down a bit, Esme," I instructed quietly. She did, and I started the exam. Esme lay with her right forearm covering her eyes. After a few minutes, I was even more certain about my diagnosis. My wife is _definitely _pregnant.

"It's official, Esme," I told her as I stood back, and she righted herself. Removing my gloves, I discarded them.

She looked up at me. "I'm really pregnant?"

"You're really pregnant."

She sat up, swinging her legs to dangle over the side of the table, and pulled me to her. Tears were streaming down her face. "Oh, Carlisle," she sobbed. "We're going to have a baby!"

After Esme got over the shock of the news, she wanted to cuddle and talk about our late-in-life baby. _Will it be a boy or a girl? _She really hoped it was a girl. _What would the boys think about having a baby brother or sister?_ I tried to be optimistic for her, I really did, but my lack of enthusiasm must have bled through my stoicism, because she noticed. I didn't want her to know how ambivalent I felt about becoming a father again or how this pregnancy might endanger her life.

"Oh, Carlisle, a baby. The baby we wanted to have 30 years ago and couldn't. Please don't worry – I'm fit and healthy. I need you to be strong for me. I can't do this alone, not at my age. I need you to be happy about this," she pleaded.

I did the only thing I could think of that might possibly be right at this moment – I kissed her. She responded with passion, joy, need and fear – all of her emotions free falling around us.

"I will try, Esme," I promised, when our lips parted, "but you must do everything that I tell you. This pregnancy is high risk because of your age. I have no medical equipment and very few drugs left if something should go wrong."

She nodded her head frantically in agreement. "Yes, I promise, Carlisle. I won't fight you; I'll do everything you tell me to do."

I sighed. I needed to tell her the hard facts about this pregnancy. "Esme, come and sit down with me. There's something you need to be aware of."

"What? What aren't you telling me, Carlisle?"

"Just sit down, first, will you? Already, you're arguing with me."

She sat instantly in the patient chair in front of my desk. I pulled my desk chair around so I could face her.

"Esme, you're 57 and I'm 58. That means that your eggs and my sperm are perhaps … not as fresh as they used to be," I tried to say tactfully. No woman wants to be told by her husband that she's less than perfect. It's not so bad for men - they produce sperm on a need-for basis.

"You mean I've got more floaters than sinkers, don't you?"

I spluttered with laughter. I'd never heard a woman describe the fertility of her eggs in quite that way before.

"I know that Carlisle," she added.

"Yes, that was an interesting analogy, if an apt one. The older a woman gets, so do her eggs. Many of them are never fertilized, because they're not up to par, or if they are fertilized …"

Esme stared at me hard, before finishing my sentence. "They spontaneously miscarry."

"Yes."

My wife glared at me dangerously. "Is that what you're hoping for, Carlisle?"

I gulped and my eyes widened. "No!"

"Well it would nicely solve your problem wouldn't it?" she spat. "I miscarry our baby, and you don't need to worry about becoming a father again when you're nearly 60."

I thumped the desk angrily, and she jumped. "No, Esme! That's _not_ what I'm thinking or saying. I admit, when I first suspected you might be pregnant, I wasn't keen on the idea, but this is _our_ baby, Esme. Not yours; not mine – _ours_. I would _never_ wish a miscarriage on you."

She sighed and took my clenched fist between her own. "I'm sorry, but I _had_ to know," she sobbed.

I frowned. What? "You had to know what?" I bit out.

She wiped her eyes, looking into mine, beseeching me to understand her reasons. "I had to know if you'd welcome this baby. No child of mine will grow up thinking one of its parents didn't want him, and resent him for being born."

I'm horrified by her statement – beyond words to express how I felt about her; about what she thought, and what she did. I stood up, so enraged that I kicked a hole through the door. She jumped and held her hand over her mouth.

"Excuse me," I said, "I need some air. I can't talk to you right now."

I left my wife.

Stomping through the foyer, I slammed opened the front door, letting it crash shut behind me. Powering down the front stairs, I headed to the beach to find some salvation. Pacing up and down the sand, I tried to comprehend just what my wife of 35 years had done to me … but I couldn't. Collapsing onto a log, I let my head drop between my spread legs and I cried. Great racking sobs of fear and agony in a cathartic session that lasted for 20 minutes.

I was wiping my face, when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Dad?" It was Edward.

"Dad are you alright? What happened? What's wrong with Mom?"

"Nothing's wrong," I croaked dismissively. "Your mother is fine. I just needed some time alone."

He fidgeted nervously on the sand, shifting from one foot to another. "Do you … want me to leave?"

"No, you're fine. I need to head back to check on your mother, Bella and Rose."

"Mom was in the shower, when I followed you here. Rose is eating breakfast," he updated me.

"What about Bella?"

"Teaching Larry Hawaiian words." He sat down beside me.

I nodded, then turned to look out over the small bay, asking softly, "What did you hear?"

I saw his shoulders shrug from my peripheral vision, and I sighed. "Did anyone else overhear – your brothers?"

"No. They haven't come downstairs yet."

"What about the others?"

"The TV was on. I think it drowned out most of your arg … um conversation with Mom."

I nodded. It was the best I could hope for.

"Is it true, Dad? Are you and Mom going to have a baby?"

I finally looked at my youngest son. "Yes, Edward, it's true. I'm going to be a father again."

Edward was silent for at least a minute, and we both stared out over the ocean. I couldn't, wouldn't ask my adult children to be happy about this unlikely development.

Edward's outstretched hand appeared in front of me. "Congratulations, Dad. This kid couldn't ask for a better father, or mother."

I stared at his hand, shocked, as my brain processed his words. He wasn't angry? He gestured with his hand, coaching me insistently to grasp it. I did. My son's grip tightened around my own and we shook hardily, and then he pulled me in for a hug and a clap on the shoulder.

"I hope it's a girl," he whispered, and then we parted. Edward's grin was infectious, and I found myself grinning with him.

"So do I."

Edward stood up and offered me a hand up. "Let's go back, Dad. You always said not to let a misunderstanding fester. I think Mom's words count as a misunderstanding," he said reassuringly.

I shook my head, but stood up, walking beside him along the pathway to our farm. "You weren't there, Edward, you don't know …"

"I know Mom, though, Dad. She would not have set out to deliberately hurt you. This must be as much of a shock to her, as it is to you. And she's scared, Dad, you know she is – that's what drove her to say what she did."

My eyelids flickered as I owned the truth of his statement. He was right. I know he was. In all of our years together, Esme had _never_ said something so appalling to me. Only deep seated fear would drive her to accuse me of something so heinous.

We walked silently for a few minutes. "Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Do you … (he gulped) do you think that maybe Bella is pregnant, as well?"

I sighed. "It's possible, Edward. You and Bella are having unprotected sex … like the rest of us. When was her last period?"

He coughed self consciously. "I, um, I think it was near the end of October."

I looked at him sharply, prompting Edward to hastily explain. "I didn't think anything about it after that, because Jimmy shot her right after Thanksgiving, and then she was recovering. I just thought that her cycle was messed up, you know."

"I'll examine her when we return home, after I talk to your mother."

He nodded and we walked the rest of the way home in silence.

…

I was walking along the hallway to look for Esme in our bedroom when I caught sight of her curled up on one of the sofas in the upstairs lounge. Her long copper hair with its streaks of silver hung down her back. She'd never looked more beautiful and I gasped at the vision of womanliness she exuded. Edward was right. This child couldn't ask for a better mother, whatever Esme's age. She would be brilliant. And her instincts would rub off on me like they did when we first embarked on our journey into parenthood. Together we would get through this, no matter what eventuated, but we had to remain united. We'd come too far in our marriage to fail now over something as wonderful and blessed as a baby.

"Esme?"

Her head turned sharply. Tears shone in her eyes, brimming at her lower lids, threatening to flow over. She stood up, swayed, steadied herself and ran towards me. I held out my arms to catch her.

"Carlisle, I-I'm so sorry," she sobbed, losing the fight to hold back her tears. "I-I didn't m-mean any of it. I'm an awful, awful person for even th-thinking it."

"Shssh, Esme," I soothed, as I stroked her back with long sweeps of my palms. "I know you are. So am I. We won't talk of it again, my darling. You said some things you regret, and I thought some things that I regret. Let our apologies be enough. We have our baby and our grand babies to worry about."

Esme looked up. "Oh, God. Carlisle! I'm going to be a grandmother. How am I going to be a mother to a young child?"

I grinned at her lasciviously. "You're not my grandmother," I told her, kissing her neck. She shivered with delight. That spot always got her. "And, you're going to be a tremendous mother to our new child. We're young at heart, remember?"

"Oh, Carlisle."

We held each other for a long while. Sometime during our bonding, we'd moved to the sofa, curling around each other. Reluctantly, I pulled back.

"I need to examine Bella. She seems fine now according to Edward, but I have a suspicion …"

"That she's pregnant?" Esme finished.

"Yes."

She blew out a breath of air. "We women are really giving you a hard time, aren't we?"

I chuckled. "It's not all the fault of you ladies. It takes two to tango, and the rhythm method isn't the most reliable form of birth control."

"What about Alice?" Esme queried.

I shrugged philosophically. What could I do if she was? Nothing. I just had to deal with it like I was the others. Similarly to Esme, a pregnancy for Alice would be higher risk because of her mental health problems. One high risk pregnancy at a time was more than enough to deal with!

"Go get something to eat, Maisy. Hold onto the stair railing, and don't stand up or move too quickly. That should help control the dizziness."

"Okay. Where are you going, again?" she asked distractedly.

"To examine Bella."

…

An hour later, I had questioned Bella in detail and examined her. Like Esme, she was beyond mortified at the thought of submitting to a gynecological exam, and one given by her future father-in-law, no less. I offered for Edward to be in the room and she accepted readily. He distracted her while I performed my tests quickly.

"You can get dressed now, Bella," I said, as I removed and discarded my gloves.

She dressed quickly, before moving to the seat in front of my desk. Edward stood behind her.

"Well kids, you're gonna have a baby," I announced.

Edward grinned from ear to ear. He fist bumped the air, mouthing 'yes' excitedly. Bella was a little more sedate, but no less pleased by the news, and far less surprised than I thought she would be. I wonder …

"How long have you suspected?" I asked her.

She hesitated. "About two weeks," she admitted.

Edward was shocked. "And you never said anything to me!"

She shrugged. "I wanted to be sure, and this morning I was. I was going to talk to Carlisle first and then tell you, but Esme was ill. I decided to put it off until later."

"Except I insisted on checking you over," I added.

"Yes."

"It's fortunate you proposed marriage when you did, Edward, otherwise I'd be a ruined woman," she teased him. He retaliated by leaning down and kissing her stupid. When he pulled back, Bella was dazed and blushing with embarrassment.

"How pregnant are we?" asked Edward.

"I estimate around seven weeks, which means Bella was pregnant when she was shot, and had surgery. I can only hope there are no ill effects on the embryo due to the anesthetic." I paused for a long moment, before deciding to be honest. "I'm rather surprised you didn't miscarry, Bella. You lost a lot of blood and your body suffered a severe shock when you were shot. This baby really wants to be born."

She rubbed her belly fondly. "I know – I read it in one of your medical texts." My eyebrows quirked. Her medical aptitude continued to show real promise. This was good, because with three pregnancies, I might need help with the other deliveries.

"Go share the good news with Esme," I told them, "and then send Rosalie in." I'm not worried that Esme will reciprocate with our own news – we'd agreed to tell the family together. I'd also asked Edward to keep our secret. As he left the room, I reminded him of his promise with a pointed expression. He nodded, leaving the room with one arm around his Bella solicitously.

…

"So, Rose, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Carlisle. A little tired and my ankles are swollen, but other than that, I feel wonderful."

"You got some sleep this morning on the sofa, I see."

"Yeah, about 2 hours, I think."

I shook my head worriedly. "Is that all?"

"Yes."

"The next time Emmett is snoring his head off, you kick him downstairs and you keep the bed," I told her. She laughed and I chuckled with her. "I'm serious, Rose; you need to get plenty of rest."

"Okay, I will," she laughed.

I finished taking her vital signs and marking her chart. "Rose, I'd like to feel your stomach. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure, Carlisle. Do you need me to undress?" she asked as she stood, and sort of waddled to the exam bed. I was seriously worried over how big she was getting.

"No sweetheart, you can just pull your top up and lower the band of your shorts."

Pressing around on her stomach, I felt for more than one fetus, gently probing and prodding. After a few minutes, I put my stethoscope to her stomach and listened carefully. There is a rapid thrum, thrum, thrum, but there is only one heartbeat. I breath an inward sigh of relief. I'd thought as much following my exam of her stomach when I felt only one head, but the single heart beat was the deciding factor.

I smiled at my eldest daughter-in-law. "Would you like to hear your baby's heartbeat?" Her eyes widened and she nodded eagerly. Placing the ear buds of the stethoscope in her ears, I placed the chest piece on her stomach in the spot where I'd heard the heartbeat. "Listen. Can you hear a thrumming sound?"

She nodded, crying.

"That's your baby's heartbeat."

She sniffled. "Can you call Emmett, please?"

Smiling, I placed her hand over the chest piece and left the office looking for Emmett. I found him collapsed on the sofa where he was sleeping off the remains of his hangover. My mouth tightened angrily, and I briefly considered letting him miss out on the wonder of hearing his child. But, in the end, I couldn't do it to him.

I shook his huge bare foot roughly. "Emmett!" He snorted and rolled over onto his stomach. "EMMETT!" I yelled.

"Wha-what?" he yelped looking to the side blearily.

"Get up and come into my office. We're listening to your baby's heartbeat."

He closed his eyes as though he failed to comprehend, then they opened wide and attentive. He sat up, swaying sideways. I reached out to steady him. He smelled like a he'd bathed in a bottle of vodka.

"Get yourself a bottle of water and come into my office. After that, I want you to take a shower, drink some more water and go back to bed."

He held his head. "Please don't yell, Dad, my head's killing me."

"I'm not surprised. Hurry up," I said, and left him to it, returning to Rosalie.

"He's coming," I assured Rose as I reentered the room.

Sitting behind my desk, I updated her chart while we waited for Emmett. He stumbled into the room 5 minutes later, having taken a moment to make himself more presentable. His hair was wet and combed, and he'd put on a clean t-shirt. He carried a bottle of water in one hand.

Rose brightened when her husband entered the room. She beckoned to him excitedly. "Come here, Emmett, you have to listen to this." Removing the ear buds from her ears she gave them to Emmett. When he was ready, she moved the chest piece of the stethoscope over her stomach."

Emmett's face wore an expression of awe and he sobered up quickly. "Is that our baby?"

Rosalie nodded. "Yes. Yes it is," she sobbed. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yeah, baby, it's fricking awesome."

I just shook my head, laughing.

…

After dinner, I moved the family into the lounge room to make our announcement. I would need all of their help keeping an eye on Esme. Hers was the highest risk pregnancy and I meant to watch her like a hawk 24/7.

After my morning surgery, my eldest son and his wife returned to bed once Emmett showered. I wanted Rose to get more sleep and Emmett actually needed it. Alice and Jasper made an appearance mid afternoon having missed all of the drama. Edward and Bella took themselves off to the grotto returning shortly before dark and in time for dinner, and Esme and I snuggled in bed for the afternoon, talking about our baby. She napped off and on while I held her securely. And Larry, he spent the afternoon in the lounge watching whatever he wanted on television. He seemed to know something was afoot, and he kept a low profile.

"Please sit down," I asked my family. I stood beside Esme, holding her close with my arm around her body. When they were all seated, I began speaking.

"Your mother and I have an announcement to make," I began. All except Edward looked on quizzically, exchanging glances of inquiry and shrugs of confusion.

"Ahem, your mother and I – we're going to have a baby."

Silence. Incomprehensible blinking of eyes and silence.

I coughed again. "We're due sometime in August."

More silent blinking, but a huge wink and grin from Edward. He gave Mom a thumbs up, showing his support for us. I was about to force a response, when Emmett reared to his feet.

"Way to go, Dad. You still got it!"

I flushed and Esme blushed at the inappropriate comment, but when had our eldest son ever been anything else. He shook my hand, and he hugged his mother, squeezing her tightly.

I pried his paws off her. "Watch it, Emmett! Your mother's delicate."

Rose and Bella came and offered their own congratulations. "Won't it be wonderful," Bella said, "all of our kids will be the same age. They can grow up together."

Even Larry came forward to offer his good wishes. "Can I be an uncle? I ain't ever been an uncle b'fore."

Esme laughed, hugging him. "Yes, Larry, you can be an uncle."

Edward pulled his mother forward into his arms, embracing her lovingly. They were especially close, since he is her youngest ... or was.

The only people in the room still seated are Jasper and Alice. They looked on with expressions bordering on anger and jealousy respectively. They stood up and nodded to us, offering stilted felicitations.

Esme noticed their coldness, and her face fell as she silently pleaded with her middle son for his understanding. Relenting, he come over to Esme, pulling her into a hug, while glaring at me over her shoulder. He acted as if I was the bringer of death and destruction. If looks could kill in that moment, I'd be dead before I hit the floor.

I gasped under my breath.

My son blamed _me_ for his mother's condition and he wasn't happy about it.

Not. At. All.

…

A/N: As you may have realized while reading this chapter, the reviews in support of a pregnancy for Esme were overwhelmingly positive. It seems that nearly everyone wanted a baby for Esme and Carlisle. I received a couple of reviews from readers who told me of their own happy experiences with pregnancy in their 50's, and a couple of readers' relayed happy stories of friends who've had babies in their 50's. I know that I may lose some readers over including a pregnancy for Esme, but that's a risk I'm willing to take.

There are no photos on my blog this week – it isn't really a chapter that needs them.


	38. Chapter 38 - Pre-Wedding Bitches

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: So, I went to see Twilight, Breaking Dawn Part 2 on Saturday afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it. What will we all do now? Read fan fiction, I guess.

On another note, the TWCS website was displaying the last chapter update date as 28 November for the last week instead of 2 December, which is the date I posted chapter 37. If you follow Wrecked on TWCS and you didn't get an email alert for chapter 37, go ahead and read that chapter before you read this one.

A bit of lemon zest features in this chapter.

…

Chapter 38 – Pre-Wedding Bitches

When I woke, the black pre-dawn night was giving away to the soft gray light of morning. There was a slight chill in the air, which I knew would dissipate as the sun rose higher over the island. Snuggling against Bella under the blankets, I placed my open palm over stomach. As I fondled _my_ son, I recalled the events of the past three weeks since New Year's Eve.

Instead of partying the night away, kissing under a shower of fireworks as we welcomed the New Year, we quietly celebrated the two most recent announcements – Bella's pregnancy and … my Mother's.

Both pregnancies were a total surprise, especially Mom and Dad's. Who knew they were even still capable? Um, not the sex part – the being able to conceive part – at _their _age!

We had 21 days of joy and happiness marred by jealous coldness radiating from Alice toward my mother, and anger raging from Jasper toward our father. As the tension rose in the house, our family unity frayed around the edges. With our wedding in four days, I worried the tension would explode right before the ceremony. Bella and I considered postponing the celebration, but Mom wouldn't have it.

Bella was on edge and moody.

Mom was weepy and on bed rest.

Dad was afraid the stress on his wife would result in a miscarriage.

My jaw clenched angrily. My brother and his wife were putting us all through hell for something none of us had _any_ control over. Jasper excused his behavior as concern for Mom's health, yet he and his wife were causing her current difficulty.

I wasn't sure for how much longer, Dad would put up with it. He understood Jasper's wariness about Mom's pregnancy, but he was_ not_ prepared to stand by indefinitely while their selfishness jeopardized her well-being or the health of the baby.

I was bloody furious with them. I'd never known Jazz to be so angry with our father – he hardly spoke to him, and when he did, his tone was terse and unfriendly. Dad was letting his behavior slide for the moment, but I suspected his tolerance was ending.

I wondered if Jasper and Alice's feelings stemmed from not being pregnant themselves.

None of us had planned to increase our family ... it just happened. As Dad quipped on New Year's Eve, the rhythm method wasn't the most reliable form of birth control, and mishaps were bound to happen. He'd been prepared for it ... he just hadn't figured it would happen to him and my mother. There were no regrets – the blessings were just unexpected.

Bella stretched and snuffled, curling towards me seeking comfort. She grimaced as nausea churned in her stomach. I knew she would wake soon and make a mad dash for the bathroom. Twice in the past 3 weeks she'd run desperately for the commode only to find the door locked and the bathroom occupied. The first time it happened, she raced back to our room, vomiting over the balcony railing. The second time, I had a bucket ready. I stroked her stomach, offering relief to her cramping muscles and she settled into a light doze.

I heard Emmett leaving the house when the outside light was bright enough to see by. He was headed to the grotto. I smiled, grateful to my big brother for his help with my surprise for Bella. I wanted to take her on a honeymoon – somewhere private and secluded, away from the house. Our old sleeping hut wasn't appropriate either. It was too close to the house; the goats lived in there when we first caught them, and now it was used for storage.

As soon as Bella woke, vomited and ate breakfast I would follow Emmett to the grotto. Emmett designed a honeymoon hut around 8 posts supporting the floor and the thatched roof. There were no exterior walls except around the water closet tucked into a corner, but there were woven screens if the weather turned rainy or windy.

I constructed a comfortable bed, a sofa and a small table with 2 chairs for dining. The mattress and cushions I recycled from Victory's sun beds. The hut included a small kitchen fashioned after a tiki bar with cabinets, a counter-top and a bar sink filched from Victory's unused items.

I sighed as I thought about Victory. Most of her salvaged fittings were still under sails and exposed to the elements. The storage hut was stacked with supplies most susceptible to the weather, but the remainders needed securing against the threat posed by _Mr Vulture_. After our honeymoon, I'd search for a suitable cave that was well concealed and secluded … which _hadn't _been used as a Polynesian burial site.

Bella sighed and rolled over onto her back giving me a perfect opportunity before she woke up and caught me. I'd been doing it just about every morning for the last three weeks and this morning would be no exception. I couldn't help myself – I just _had_ to do it.

Glancing at her slyly, I found her still sleeping. I gently pushed up her nightgown and shoved away the blankets exposing her belly. She shivered, but slept on none the wiser. Smirking, I bent my head, grazing my lips across the warm skin and firm muscles protecting our baby.

"Hello, my son," I whispered, as I halted above her navel. "It's Daddy."

Laying my ear against her belly I fantasized I could hear my sons response to my voice. I imagined he knew who I was and was just as excited to meet me as I was to meet him.

"How are you today, my son? Did you know you're 10 weeks old today?" I imagined the flutter in my love's belly was my son kicking to let me know he heard me. The rumble echoing from within told me differently, but I didn't care.

"Are you safe and warm in there? Your mama's body is protecting you from harm, my son," I told him. "She's so beautiful and I love her more than anything in the whole world, except for you. You're gonna love her just as much as I do."

I spoke with my child for a few more minutes before Bella began to squirm and I knew she was waking. I hurriedly bade him not to make his mama too sick and promised to talk to him again tomorrow. Pulling down Bella's nightgown, I returned to my place beside her just as she woke up completely.

Bella yawned, stretching her lithe body beside me. I estimated we had only a few minutes before her stomach ejected her from our bed despite what I'd asked of our child. She hadn't noticed me watching her yet as I lay propping my head on my hand.

"Good morning, my love," I greeted.

"Hmm, good morning, Edward." She turned her head toward me, puckering her lips. "Kiss?"

I smiled and pecked her lips. She always wanted a good morning nuzzle, but wouldn't allow me to kiss her properly until she'd brushed her teeth. For some reason, she was worried about her morning breath offending me. I'd told her before she was being silly – that everyone woke with morning breath – but nothing I'd said made any difference.

I pulled away reluctantly. "What are your plans for the day, Bella?"

She yawned again. "Um, Alice wants me for a final fitting of my wedding dress. It's just amazing, Edward," she said excitedly. "I never in a million years dreamed a gown could be made from an old damask tablecloth, but that's what Alice did!"

I couldn't wait to see her in her bridal finery, but I worried about Alice's behavior and how it was affecting Bella. "Don't let Alice boss you around too much, Bella. This is your wedding day," I reminded her.

She sighed. "I know. Her moods are mercurial, Edward, and she's hard to cope with. One minute she's cheerful and happy like she usually is, and the next minute she's irritable and downright bitchy," Bella shared with me.

I frowned. "Bitchy, how?" Bella remained silent, pondering how much to tell me. "_Bella, _tell me what you mean," I said sternly.

She huffed. "Okay, Edward, but you have to promise not to confront her … or Jasper. I'll work out my own issues with Alice."

My eyes narrowed dangerously. What could be so bad, she felt the need to elicit a promise of non-involvement from me?

"Tell me!"

She sighed and rolled over, taking me with her, until she was resting over my chest. "She … stuck me with a pin."

I reared up in the bed, dumping Bella onto the mattress beside me. "She stuck you with a _fucking_ pin?" I roared. "Where? When?"

Bella sat up, holding her stomach. She was starting to look a little green and I immediately felt guilty for jostling her with my furious reaction.

"Um," she burped and then hiccoughed, "in the ankle when she was hemming my dress a few days ago."

My teeth clenched, grinding together. "Did she draw blood?"

Bella shook her head negatively, but looked like she regretted the movement, flopping back against the headboard. I handed Bella a glass of water from the bedside table and a slice of dry, cold toast we'd made the night before as a replacement for crackers. She nibbled on it gratefully and sipped at her water.

_Mary Alice Brandon Cullen was so fucking lucky – she had no freaking idea how lucky she was! _

If Bella hadn't elicited that promise from me, I'd be pounding down her bedroom door in the next 3 seconds. Wait, did she do it on purpose? My eyes narrowed again and I cracked the knuckles in my fingers.

"Did she mean to do it?" I clenched out through gritted teeth.

Bella paused, taking a sudden interest in a loose thread on the border of the blankets.

"Bella!"

She shrugged. "Um, I wasn't sure at the time, but yeah, now that I think about, I believe she did it on purpose."

I thumped the mattress, enraged, making her jump as she startled. I immediately threw her a look of apology, and Bella continued her explanation.

"We – Rose and I – were talking about how unwell Esme was feeling, when Alice's mood became decidedly chilly. Rose said Emmett was thinking about running a sweep on whether he'd have a baby brother or a baby sister, and I said that you hoped it was a sister – that your mom always wanted a little girl."

She paused in her explanation to chew a bite of toast.

"Then what?"

"Then Rose said she felt she was having a girl and if it was, she'd have her gentle giant daddy wrapped around her little finger. Rose and I were giggling at the image of Emmett at the mercy of a tiny blonde toddler, and then I said that I thought I was having a boy who'd take after his daddy and join the navy."

My heart stuttered excitedly. _Bella thought we were having a boy?_

"I hadn't noticed that Alice had gone quiet and wasn't joining into the conversation. She'd been so excited when she found out about Rose's pregnancy, but she's been decidedly … lackluster since we and your parents announced our own. That's when she did it."

_That damned bitch!_ I loved her dearly, but she could be a jealous witch when the attention wasn't centered around her, and she wasn't afraid to let everyone know it. It was _not_ an attractive trait in a woman. Especially a Cullen woman.

"Then what happened?" I asked, holding back my anger with considerable effort. "Did she apologize?"

Bella shrugged. "I yelped and she looked up at me with a disingenuous expression and said "Oh, I'm _sorry_, Bella. Did I stick you?" My eyebrows rose into my hairline. "Rose told her to knock off the jealous attitude – that it was getting tiresome – and to pull herself together. _"If you want to have a baby, Alice, then have one already and put us all out of our misery," _she quoted. "Alice looked like she was about to cry and then she flounced away leaving Rose to help me out of my dress. That was it," she said, completing the explanation.

I leaned down to look at her ankles. "Which one was it?" I asked, looking back at her.

"It was the right one, Edward, but there's nothing there. The tiny scratch has healed."

"I thought you said she didn't draw blood?" I hissed at her, leaning down to inspect her ankle closely.

I could _hear_ her eyes rolling at me. "She didn't, Edward. There was just a small surface scratch. I soothed it with a dab of lotion and it disappeared. I never gave it another thought," she said insistently.

Moving into an Indian style sitting position, I swept her feet into my lap and rubbed them solicitously, stroking my thumbs up and around her ankles looking for evidence. I relented in my search, switching to a comforting massage when I couldn't feel anything.

"Hmm," Bella moaned. "That feels good, baby, but you'd better let me go. I'm gonna heave any minute," she warned me.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she was rolling off the bed, landing on her feet with a thump and racing for the door. I followed behind her, always willing to help, but resigned that she probably wouldn't let me. Mom was the same with Dad. Apparently, vomiting was something they wanted to do in private.

When I made it into the hallway, Bella was yanking Larry out of the bathroom. She flung him back with preternatural strength, slamming the door behind her. I reached out and caught Larry under the arms as he fell back towards me.

He shook his head dazedly as I righted him. "Wow, Mr Red. She sure is in a hurry."

We heard her heaving behind the closed door. "She certainly is, Larry," I replied drolly.

…

When I arrived at the grotto with my latest load of supplies for the honeymoon hut, Emmett was lining a fire pit he'd dug with large stones. It would double as a fire as well as a place for basic cooking.

"Hey, Emmett."

He looked up. "Morning, brother, how's Bella this morning?"

I snorted. "She's good now that she's eaten. How's Rosalie?"

"Yeah, she's good, Ed. Her morning sickness has passed now. She's moved onto swollen ankles and a rabid appetite for sex 24/7." My eyebrows rose. Emmett blushed. "Too much information?"

"Possibly," I said, while looking forward to my own future. "Let's _not_ tell Rosalie about your indiscretion."

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"I'll just take this stuff inside and then come back to help you."

"Nah, don't worry about it … I've finished," he said, laying the last stone. He picked up a bucket full of lava rocks and tipped it into the fire pit. "All you need to do is add kindling and you're all set."

"Thanks, Emmett. I really appreciate you helping me with this. I would never have been able to do this on my own."

He clapped me hard on the shoulder, knocking me forward. "No worries, Edward. That's what brothers are for."

He stood for a moment, rocking on his feet as I dropped the bag of linen and kitchen supplies onto the unmade bed.

"Um, do ya think that Rose and I could use this place sometime?" he asked me timidly, almost as though I would refuse him.

"Of course you can, Em. Bella and I found this place and it's special to us, but we don't own it. We should all use it, especially now that you've built this hut. We can use it as a getaway when we want time away from each other."

He swallowed. "Thanks, Edward. Um, I don't know if you remember, but Rose's and my wedding anniversary is on Valentine's Day."

My eyes widened. I _had_ forgotten.

"Um, we've been married 10 years. I'd really like to bring Rose here for the night and celebrate."

I grinned at my brother, striding over to shake his meaty hand heartily.

"Of course you and Rose can use this place for your anniversary. Wow, Emmett, 10 years! Who'd have thought?"

He chuckled, channeling his fingers through his shortened curls. Rosalie eventually tied him down for a haircut.

"I know man, I can't believe it myself. I didn't think she'd say yes when I asked her to marry me all those years ago, and now we're married for a decade _and_ expecting a baby." He looked stunned.

"Bella and I will help you with a meal that you can serve Rosalie – something that doesn't need a lot of cooking. What are you going to make as a gift?"

Emmett's eyes widened. "Oh, shit, man, I completely forgot. What's the 10th wedding anniversary gift?"

I frowned as I tried to remember. "Paper, maybe, or wood." He looked panicked. "Don't worry about it, Em, Mom will know what it is and you can improvise."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah, Mom. She'll know. She always knows that shit." He changed the subject. "How is she today?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. Mom was still in bed when I left. Dad said she wanted to get up, but he wouldn't let her."

"Is she still insisting on making your wedding cake?"

"Yep, but she's relented and is letting Bella cook the meal. We've decided on a simple menu that can be prepared in advance and then reheated or eaten at room temperature."

"That's good. Mom scared the shit out of me when she fainted yesterday morning." He paused momentarily. "How's Dad? I, um, thought he was gonna deck Jasper when Mom walked in on their argument."

"He's … at the end of his patience," I said carefully. I began unloading the bag of supplies I'd brought with me. "He understands that Jasper is worried about Mom's health, but he doesn't get why Jasper is so bent on hating him for it. It's not like it wasn't a complete surprise to them either."

"Nah, I don't understand his attitude myself," Emmett said, opening kitchen cabinets to put away cups, plates and glasses. "I asked Dad how it could happen." My eyes widened. "And he explained it to me – you know, the medical aspects of it," Emmett clarified, when I nearly bit off my tongue.

I blushed, looking at him sideways. "Yeah, I asked him as well," I owned. We looked at each other and laughed. We didn't have a choice but to ask Dad unless we chose to look in one of the encyclopedias. We didn't have Google to fall back on.

I opened the bamboo storage bench at the foot of the bed, loading in the sheets, blankets and pillows I'd taken from the house. I'd make the bed the morning of our wedding day. Emmett looked out over the grotto pool, listening to the waterfall pounding on the water as he stared off into space.

"Well, I think we're done here," I said. "Thanks again for all your help."

He turned to face me. "Anytime, Edward, anytime. Help me lower the blinds to keep out any animals and the weather," he said, as he strode around to the side of the hut to let them down.

The large woven blinds were held open with bamboo poles, which hooked into holes drilled into the base of each blind. The other end of the pole hooked into another hole drilled into the posts holding up the building. The post holes were graduated so we could adjust how far the blinds were left open. Braided cords tied the panels to the building so the wind wouldn't blow them open.

"Do you think Dad's tried to explain it to Jasper?" I asked Emmett, as we walked home.

He pondered for a moment. "Yeah, I think he's tried, but Jasper's too busy bitchin' to actually listen to Dad, or anyone else for that matter."

"What exactly happened yesterday when Mom fainted?" I asked Emmett. "Dad was too angry and busy caring for Mom and Jasper wouldn't talk to me about it."

He shook his head. "Man, Edward, he was ballsy, not to mention completely out of line. He basically told Dad he should have kept his filthy hands to himself and left Mom alone. If it wasn't for his _urges_," Emmett made quotes around the word, "then her life wouldn't be at risk carrying _his_ child."

I gasped.

Emmett nodded. "Yeah, I know. Not even I would say something like that to a man, let alone my own father and we both know I'm the king of inappropriate comments."

I guffawed, remembering Emmett's prideful crow at Dad when he heard the news. "_Way to go, Dad. You've still got it!"_

"Mom walked in just as Dad was about to take a swing at Jasper. Man, I never thought I'd see the day when Dad struck one of us kids, but you know what, Edward?" I shook my head. "The prick deserved it!" I couldn't agree more. "He's been bitchin' and moanin' to anyone who'd listen for 3 weeks. Poor Larry is beside himself with worry. I found him sitting on the floor outside Mom's bedroom door last night. When I asked him what he was doing there, he told me he was guarding her body."

I quirked a brow of disbelief. Emmett nodded emphatically in confirmation.

"Jazz hasn't exactly been careful about who hears his raves either," Emmett continued, "and I reckon Alice is eggin' him on for some reason." I nodded, agreeing with his assessment of the situation. "He _knew_ Mom could hear him a lot of the time, but he said all that shit anyway." He shook his head sadly. "Dad ... he could take it. Hell, in some twisted way he thought he deserved Jasper's fury, but when Dad saw what it was doing to Mom, he told Jasper to quit it and get over it."

"Why didn't you intervene?" I asked him curiously.

He looked sad and angry. "Dad wouldn't let me. He held up his hand when I went to his rescue."

_What the hell is _wrong_ with Jasper? _

"What happened then?" I asked.

"About then, Mom came running in just in time to stop Dad from wailing on Jasper. Tears were streaming down her face and she was sobbing uncontrollably." He looked at me pointedly. "She'd heard _everything_." I gasped again. "Every putrid word out of Jasper's mouth. She stalked over to Jasper like a lioness, yelling at him to get away and cool off. She told him that _she_ was happy about the baby, and if he couldn't share in their joy, then he should keep his nasty thoughts to himself!"

Emmett continued with his retelling.

"I thought Mom was gonna be sick. She was as white as a ghost and sweating profusely. She was gasping as if she couldn't catch her breath, and then she just … fainted. I've never seen Dad move so fast. He caught Mom before she hit the floor. She was out cold. Jasper was yelling at Mom to wake up while trying to get close to her and Dad was yelling at him to get the hell away from her. _"Get him out of here!" _he yelled at me. I arm wrestled him out of the room, passing Rosalie in the foyer."

Fucking hell. Something had to give. This shit from Jasper and Alice had to stop … immediately!

"Rose took one look in the door of Dad's office and waddled away to get Mom a cold wash cloth. She told me later that Dad ordered Mom back to bed. She's not allowed up for anything other than the toilet or the shower for the next three days. He's gonna let her up on Thursday to make your cake and that's it until the wedding."

I was completely stunned. I had no idea just how bad it was and Mom had kept her own counsel when Bella and I took her dinner on a tray last night. "What about Jasper, and where was Alice?"

Emmett's face tightened angrily. "Once I got him through the front door, he stopped fighting to get back to Mom long enough for me to fling him off the veranda. Alice came running from upstairs screeching at me to _pick on someone my own size_. I told her she should be telling that to _her_ husband, since _he_ was the one who'd made his mother cry so much she fainted."

I eyed Emmett curiously. "How did she react?"

"What do you mean?"

"Was Alice concerned about Mom, or did she seem … uninterested?"

Emmett cocked his head to one side. "Now that you mention it, she didn't act all that worried about Mom, but she was all over Jasper like a rash. He didn't have a scratch on him, the lucky shit. He rolled out of the fall, landing on his feet like a tomcat."

"Hmm. Emmett, did Rose tell you what happened at Bella's last dress fitting?"

He looked at me cagily. "You mean about the so called accidental pin prick?" I nodded. "Yeah, she told me, but she asked me not to say anything to you. Bella made her promise."

I glared at my brother. What happened to brotherly solidarity?

"Um, how'd you find out?" he asked.

"Bella told me this morning," I replied tersely.

Emmett grunted. "What are we gonna do about them? It's gonna be a long 9 months, and I don't know if the family can survive it if we don't get the household back on an even keel."

I knew immediately what was required. "We need to stage an intervention, Emmett. Tonight! And _without _Mom and Dad in attendance. In fact, I think we should keep it a secret from them."

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Where will we do it?"

"At the beach."

"Okay, that should be far enough away so they won't hear us. You and I will get Jasper there, and Rose, Bella and Larry can take care of the pixie. If she gives them any trouble, I'll tell Larry to fling her over his shoulder and just bring her."

I chuckled, but agreed readily.

"Let's stage it at about 7," I suggested, "after dinner. Dad will have gone upstairs by then to spend time with Mom, and he won't notice we're missing."

"Good, let's do it!"

…

When we returned to the house at lunchtime, we parted company in search of our lovely ladies. I found Bella napping on our bed, an open book resting on the floor where it had fallen. She was curled on her side under a blanket with her glorious mahogany hair spread over the white pillow.

Toeing off my shoes and removing my jeans, I crawled into bed behind her, letting my arms curve around her. She was warm and sleeping deeply, for which I was grateful. I traced the pale lavender half-moons shadowing her eyes above her cheek bones. The combination of pregnancy and stress was taking its toll on her. Coming so quickly after her recovery from the shooting, the timing of Alice and Jasper's mutiny couldn't have come at a worst time.

I did owe Jazz a debt of gratitude, however. He'd helped me make the rings for Bella's and my wedding ceremony. I understood the chemistry of the gold and how to melt it, but I'd never made jewelry before. All we ever did in high school science was to let it harden after it melted.

Jasper, on the other hand, had actually gone through a stage in his late teens and early twenties when he made some of his own jewelry. He knew more about how to stretch and mold the gold into a ring than I did. I'm certain I would have worked it out eventually, but I didn't have the luxury of time on my side, and he did offer.

Mom cried when Bella and I told her we were making our own rings. I was terrified she was really upset about it, but she assured us it was just her hormones speaking. She was thrilled that our rings would be as meaningful to us as hers were to she and Dad. Secretly, I think she was thankful we turned her down, and I was glad we'd done so, when I noticed her rubbing her anniversary ring fondly.

The actual forging of the rings didn't take more than a couple of hours each. We used one of the coins we'd found on Thanksgiving, melting it in a scrupulously clean cast iron basin using a blow torch we'd had on Victory. Jasper rigged up a roller of sorts using some iron cogs to lengthen the cooling gold into a more or less rectangular shape, about as long and as thick as a fence nail.

When the gold nail was a little longer than we needed, Jazz showed me how to bend the gold using a pair of pliers, heating it occasionally to guide the metal into the shape we wanted. When the length and thickness was right, I heated the ends, so we could trim it to length and solder it closed. Once the rings were polished, I was thrilled with how they looked. They weren't smooth and perfectly symmetrical like a jewelers ring, but they were special.

Before I soldered Bella's ring, I measured it for fit on her finger, blindfolding her first so she wouldn't see it. She pouted at not being able to peek. I reminded her teasingly that it was _my_ privilege as the groom to present her with the ring that would join us together for all eternity. She argued that it was _her_ privilege as the bride to present me with a ring in return, thus it made sense for her to see it first. I countered that if I were to allow that, she'd know what _her_ ring looked like.

_"Not gonna happen!"_ I'd told her.

She scowled and stamped her tiny foot. Having lost the argument, she tore off in a huff, with my laughter behind her. I smiled fondly at the memory. She was so cute when she was riled over something.

I checked my watch – it was nearly one o'clock. I figured Bella had been napping for a couple of hours, since she'd taken to resting everyday from around 11. I knew she'd wake up soon and I wondered how her final dress fitting had gone with Alice. Scooting down in the bed behind her, I leaned over her waist and whispered to her stomach.

"Hello, baby, it's Daddy again. You're a very good boy for letting your mama sleep so soundly. She gets really tired at the moment." I stroked her tummy gently. "In a few days, I'm gonna marry your mama," I told him secretively, "and you're gonna be right there with us, front and center." I chuckled at my own silly pun.

I startled as I felt Bella's fingers raking through my hair. Looking up, I wondered if she'd heard me talking to the baby. Her eyes were closed and she snuffled as though on the verge of waking. I was pretty sure she hadn't heard me and if she had, well she'd likely pass it off as a dream and I wouldn't argue if she mentioned it.

I purred as her nails scratched at my scalp. It was the most delicious sensation. Sometimes, I'd lie with my head in her lap while she petted my scalp endlessly. More often than not, I found it arousing, but once or twice, she'd actually lulled me to sleep as I relaxed under her talented fingers.

This wasn't one of those times – I was horny.

Crawling up and over her body, I straddled her body with my knees beside her waist. Bending to her neck, I nuzzled the skin, kissing her pulse and breathing in her fragrance. I was tempted to suckle, but I was rather fond of my balls, and she'd threatened to hurt me if I bruised her skin before the wedding.

She moaned as she woke fully. I felt a little guilty about disturbing her sleep, but it flew out the window when her hands cupped my skull to pull me down. Her lips met mine at the half way point. I growled low in my chest, as her tongue slid impatiently into my mouth. I chased it back with my own, stroking against her tongue and the slick inner recesses of her delicious mouth.

Wrenching her mouth from mine, she groaned and ordered hoarsely, "Take your shirt and shorts off."

Rearing back into an upright position across her hips, I tore my t-shirt off, ripping the seam between the neck and the shoulder. She yanked her own up and over her head, stripping her bra with it. Before I could stand and rid myself of my boxers, her eager hand slid between the slit in the fabric to fondle me. I felt my eyes rolling back in my head as I reacted to the heat of her tiny hand closing around my manhood.

"Fuck, Bella," I hissed in ecstasy. "Wait, baby," I implored her. She ignored me, smirking slyly as she tightened her hand and slid it along my length. Up and down she stroked me, twisting her hand slowly at the head to pay its growing girth some special attention. Her thumb played over my slit, lubricating her hand and my dick with fluid.

_Shit!_

"Bella, stop!" I beseeched her.

She ignored my entreaty, increasing her ministrations until I fell forward. "Just let me!" she gasped.

My eyes closed, but I had enough presence of mind to halt my forward motion with an outstretched hand against the mattress. When I opened them, my mouth was poised above her luscious breasts. Her pink tipped, pebble hard nipples teased me to bite, suckle and nibble. Alright, if that's how she wants it. _She_ can have me, but I'll have her as well – just not the way _I_ wanted.

Leaning down, I drew one of those perky nipples between my lips, tonguing it strongly. She hissed and drew back, silently cuing me to their tenderness. Easing back on the suction, I laved her gently, increasing it again when her breasts grew accustomed to my lovemaking. I paid particular attention to both of them, blowing on them gently with my hot breath between suckles until they were erect and elongated. Her hand increased its movements on my straining dick in time with my rhythmic sucking on her nipples. I knew I wasn't gonna last for much longer, and I _wanted_ to be inside her.

Pulling away from her breasts with a pop of my lips, I wrench myself away from her. Standing up beside the bed, I shoved my boxers down my legs and stepped out of them. I watched her intently as she lifted her hips to push off her panties. She wriggled them down her long slender legs, flinging the frothy silk and lace away with her foot. Inhaling deeply of her fragrant arousal, I stalked toward her like a man on a mission. She smiled seductively, allowing her legs to fall open in welcome.

I didn't wait for a second invitation, as I slid into her.

…

That evening over dinner was pure torture. The silence was pervasive and chilling. The only saving grace was Mom's absence from the dinner table. Dad looked tormented, picking at his meal without enthusiasm. Every now and then, he'd glance at Jasper, grimacing sadly.

I told Bella of our plans to launch an intervention as we lay in bed sated from our lovemaking. She was against it at first, mainly due to her uncertainty around Alice's reaction. She thought Alice was a little unstable at the moment.

_A little! I scoffed inwardly._

"She's covering it well," Bella told me, "but whatever is eating at her is fighting the kava medication. I'm afraid she's regressing."

When I relayed to her what Emmett had told me earlier, she was shocked, crying in my arms in sympathy for Esme and Carlisle.

"We have to stop them, Edward!" she said vehemently, obviously having changed her mind. "This can't go on. I can put up with Alice, and so can Rosalie, but Esme deserves better from her, no matter her mental condition." Bella sniffed emotionally. "Esme deserves her love and care, not nasty glances and implied recriminations."

"What do you mean?" I growled, dreading her retelling of yet another horror story.

Bella stiffened in my arms. "Never mind, Edward. I don't want to go over it now. It's enough that you'll hear about it at the intervention."

"But …" I protested.

"But, _nothing_. I don't have the energy to rehash it now, Edward. Please wait until later," she entreated.

I sighed, but relented against my better judgment.

Following dinner, Dad retired upstairs, saying goodnight distractedly as he left the table. We all (excepting Alice and Jasper) followed him with our eyes as he left the room dejectedly.

Exchanging a glance of concern with Emmett, I noted Rose's eyes narrow dangerously at Alice. She stood up, abruptly shoving her chair back. Emmett and I moved to stand behind Jasper's chair at the table. He leaned his head back, eying us worriedly. Emmett cracked his knuckles menacingly.

"What's going on?" Jazz asked warily.

"Get your jacket, Alice; we're going to the beach. You too, Jasper," Rose ordered.

"It's time we worked this shit out before you two destroy this family," Emmett added.

Jasper's face flushed red with anger. "Bullshit!" he spat, shoving his chair back, trying to escape us. Emmett blocked him.

Alice glared at Rose defiantly. "No thank you, Rosalie, I don't _want _to go to the beach. It's dark and I'm tired." She dabbed at her lips with her napkin, before discarding it carelessly on the table.

Rose leaned across the table to get in her face, forcing Alice back, more than a little frightened. "I don't care what you want, Alice," Rose spat dismissively. "You're going … even if I have to force you."

Alice scoffed, her bravery rising. "And just _how _are you going to do that, _Mrs I'm nearly 6 months pregnant?_" she drawled scornfully.

Rose stared her down, before uttering a single name. "Larry."

He stood up. "Now, Miss Rose?"

"Yes, _now_, Larry." Wiping his hands on the front of his jeans, he walked over to Alice. As he leaned down to pick her out of her seat, Jasper reacted ferally, diving toward Larry. Only Emmett's quick reflexes prevented Jasper from connecting.

"Don't you _fucking_ touch her, asshole!"

I shook my head at Larry. He gulped nervously and stepped back from his quarry. Emmett pushed Jasper into his chair, standing over him.

I stepped up to my brother. "Jasper, please, we need to sort this out. It's not only Mom's health at risk here. The stress isn't good for her and the fabric holding our family together is tearing apart."

Bella interjected softly. "If we can't talk about whatever is bothering you both, how will we function as a community? We can't help you, if we don't know what the problem is."

"Who says, we _need_ or _want_ your help, Your Highness?" Alice spat defensively.

Bella stared at Alice blankly, but her eyes flickered, belying her hurt at Alice's nasty rejoinder.

Emmett lost all patience. "Here's the deal. You either both come quietly and listen to what we've got to say and talk to us calmly, or …"

"Or what?" Jasper spat.

Emmett cracked his knuckles again, leaning down to speak quietly into Jasper's ear. "Or I knock your effing teeth down your throat and carry you out of here," he threatened. "Rose is ready to gag Alice if she has to, and Larry will carry her on my orders. It's up to you. Make a decision."

The both glared at us before exchanging glances and nodding tersely. We surrounded them as we walked to the foyer, stopping by the hall closet for our jackets. Rose and Bella grabbed flashlights and we left the house, shutting the door quietly behind us. I looked back toward the house, hoping against all the odds that Dad hadn't heard our argument.

When we arrived at the beach, I noted the three logs in a triangle around a kindling stack. The night air wasn't exactly cold, but it wasn't balmy either. I deduced that Emmett and Larry had made these arrangements earlier today when they'd disappeared for a couple of hours. Emmett leaned down lighting a coconut husk with a lighter he pulled from his pocket.

"Sit down, please," Emmett said brusquely. He nodded at me to begin.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth intent on speaking calmly and rationally. "Jasper, Alice, as you might have guessed, this is an intervention. We are worried about you and we're worried about how whatever is bothering you is affecting our parents, especially Mom."

Jasper stared sightlessly toward the dark horizon, while Alice stared at the fire. Neither showed any reaction to my opening statement.

I coughed, my knee bouncing agitatedly. Bella laid her hand on my leg, rubbing my thigh soothingly. "Go on," she encouraged softly.

"We all want to help you if we can. We might not be able to solve your problems, but we'd like to at least listen. We love you both and we only want the brother and sister-in-law we know and love back with us."

Zero response.

I caught Emmett's attention, inclining my head toward Jasper. He nodded, leaning forward from his perch on the log. He dangled his hands loosely between his parted knees. I knew what he was doing – it was a tactic I'd learned in the navy. It was a way of relaxing your opponent by appearing less threatening.

"Jazz, why don't we start with you?" Emmett said. Jasper turned his head to stare coldly at our older brother. "We're concerned about what happened yesterday," he began. "Dad reacted … physically to your accusation, and Mom was distressed to the point of fainting." He paused thoughtfully. "I have to wonder if you actually _wanted_ Dad to punch you."

My eyes widened at Emmett's sudden insight into our brothers tactics. I was sure he'd guessed correctly when Jasper's eyes flickered infinitesimally in reaction.

Emmett continued. "We were brought up by our father to respect our mother and our elders, so, I have to wonder why our parents suddenly don't qualify? What has Dad _done_ that is so horrifying you feel entitled to treat him as little more than a pariah in his own home."

Jasper reared to his feet, suddenly agitated.

"Sit down!" roared Emmett. Alice jumped visibly. She refused to look up, knowing she was next.

Jasper gulped. "I'm not going to flee, Emmett, but I need to burn some nervous energy," he explained.

I shrugged at Emmett.

"Fine," Em said, "but start talking."

"I-I ..."

"What?" Emmett barked.

"Nothing!" Jasper snarled. "He hasn't _done_ anything, alright. It's all me," he said, thumping his chest with his fists. "It's my problem to work out." He turned his back on us, running his fingers through his tangled blonde hair.

"Tell them," whispered Alice. We all turned to look at her expectantly. It was the first time she'd spoken since we'd left the house.

"Yes, do tell us, Jasper," said Rose sarcastically. I rolled my eyes at her. _She wasn't helping._

Alice looked around the group as Jasper stood away from us. His arms were crossed defensively in front of his body. "Um, when Jasper was in college …"

Jasper spun on his heel to face us. His face was ravaged with anguish. "Don't Alice!"

She stood up, running toward him and looking deep into his sad eyes. "Yes, Jazzy! They deserve to know _why _we've been acting as we have. "I'll tell your story, if you tell mine," she suggested softly, and he agreed.

It was probably easier not speaking aloud what haunted them. Having another tell the story was sometimes simpler. The narrator created a doorway that was easier to walk through, than it was to open.

Alice turned around again, connecting with each of us. She took a deep breath and launched into Jasper's story.

"When Jasper was in college, his best friends mother became pregnant. She was 46. His parents were thrilled about the baby – they'd only ever been able to have Peter, you see. They found out they were having a girl and his parents decided to name her Charlotte after Peter's maternal grandmother. Everything seemed to be going well when Peter's mother went into premature labor at 32 weeks pregnant. She was rushed to the hospital and they performed an emergency Cesarean " Alice swallowed, before continuing. "Charlotte was stillborn," she relayed tearily. "The cord had wrapped around her neck, and Peter's mother began to hemorrhage."

Jasper suddenly took Alice by the hand and returned to the triangle, sitting down on his log. He wrapped his arms around his diminutive wife, drawing comfort from her closeness.

"Peter and I were in Maui at the time," Jasper continued. "We were on spring break and we decided to go surfing. By the time we got the message from his dad and flew back to Honolulu it was too late. His mother died, because her surgeon couldn't stop the bleeding. Peter never saw his mother again and he lost his entire family – his mother and sister to death and his father to a life of devastated loneliness."

"Don't you see?" Alice implored. "Jazzy is terrified that something similar will happen to Esme. She's 11 years old than Peter's mother was when she was pregnant and _she_ died, and so did baby Charlotte. So what chance does Esme have on an island without (she sniffed loudly) medical equipment!"

Bella stood up to kneel in front of both of them. "Oh, Ally, Jasper, you can't _know_ that the same thing will happen to Esme and the baby," she argued logically. "You have to be optimistic. Your parents _need_ your support. Do you think Carlisle isn't terrified for Esme? He, more than any of us, _knows_ what could happen. He was Chief of Surgery for goodness sake!"

"Bella's right, Jasper. Dad and Mom didn't plan this pregnancy. Dad said it's commonly called a change-of-life baby. It happens to thousands of couples every year around the world. Okay, maybe they're not all Mom's age," I conceded, "but it does happen. Dad cited confirmed cases to me."

"Me, too," piped up Emmett.

"Me, three," agreed Larry.

I smiled wanly. Even Larry had taken his worries to Dad. It was a pity Jasper hadn't done the same. It might have saved us all a lot of heartache.

Rose was the one who posed the 64 thousand dollar question. "What would you expect your parents to do about this pregnancy if we were back in Honolulu?"

Jasper gulped, looking away guiltily.

"Never in a million years," I hissed at him. "Mom wouldn't _ever _do it."

I felt utterly exhausted. When I gazed around, the others looked like I felt. Wrung out and despondent. I made an executive decision.

"Jazz, Alice, will you talk to us again tomorrow? We still haven't heard your explanation, Alice."

She sniffled, but nodded agreeably.

Rose added her two cents worth. "And you need to be kinder to Esme, Alice. You've been a real bitch to her _and_ Bella. I know we haven't heard from you yet, but _nothing_ you've got to say to us excuses your recent behavior." Alice gulped and nodded, wiping tears from her shiny eyes.

I faced my brother sternly. "Jazz, you need to talk to Dad and Mom tomorrow. Tell _them _what you shared with us tonight."

He nodded. "I will," he croaked.

"And, Jazz?" added Emmett.

"Yeah?"

"You _owe _Dad an apology for your words yesterday, and for how you've treated him."

"I know."

I stood up, gesturing to Larry and Emmett to extinguish the fire. Leaning down, I grasped Bella's hand where she knelt on the sand.

"Let's go home."

…

A/N: Thanks for reading. No photos this week, but you get to see the honeymoon hut next chapter following the wedding. You'll get Alice's story in chapter 39, as well.

A huge thanks goes out to EsmeCullen47 who re-read all 37 chapters of Wrecked this week and very kindly critiqued chapter 16 for me. You might recall that that was the chapter where Jasper spanks Alice after the lava tube rescue of Edward and Bella. I've received a few reviews criticizing Jasper's behavior and my writing of the spanking. My intention was to demonstrate how people – who are terrified beyond reason – might act out of character, doing things they might not ordinarily do. I think most of my readers understood that, but I wanted to be sure. EsmeCullen47 assured me that in her opinion, my message was clear, so I've decided to leave it as written.

Thanks to everyone who left me a guest review on FanFic. I appreciate the time you take to write and tell me what you think, and I'm sorry I can't respond to you personally. I received two particularly moving guest reviews. One from a woman who had her last baby in her mid fifties and has never regretted it, and another from a woman who hasn't been so lucky to have children, but who has found other ways to fulfill her life.


	39. Chapter 39 - Hawaiian Wedding Song

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: A huge thank you to EsmeCullen47 for her editing skills and pre-reading.

This is the last chapter of Wrecked before Christmas. I'm off to Melbourne on the 23rd and I won't be home until NYE. I want to wish all of my readers a very merry Christmas, and a happy and safe New Year.

See you all in 2013!

Lemon scented honeymoon scene. Enjoy.

…

Chapter 39 – Hawaiian Wedding Song

Two days before the wedding I was in the garden with Bella. We'd entered the enclosed yard intent on picking the fruit and vegetables she needed for the wedding luncheon. Somehow, 'shopping' turned into 'weeding' and we spent a few hours pulling unwanted interlopers from the rich loamy soil.

We'd decided on a midday ceremony, followed by a casual lunch with wedding cake for dessert. Mom wouldn't tell us what she was planning, but she promised it would be great. She was doing much better and itching to get out of bed despite how tired she was, even while lying down. Bella and I brought her meals to her on a tray and she pumped us for gossip, not letting us leave until she was up-to-date on all of the household happenings.

"So, _tell me_ what you have planned for the luncheon menu, Bella," Mom said firmly, while she ate.

I thought she'd be picking at her meals, but she was eating heartily as if she'd never seen food before. She stared at Bella expectantly as she chewed, challenging her to even try evading her questions. Bella chuckled, settling onto the bed beside Mom.

"Now, Esme, would I leave you out of the wedding plans for _your baby_?" Bella said playfully, looking sideways at me. I blushed, not denying the appellation.

I had been the 'baby' of the family for 29 years and I was both sad and glad that I would pass the title to my new brother or sister. As a kid, I loved being spoiled and coddled by my Mom, following her around like a lost puppy. As a teen, I rebelled, stretching the apron strings, but never quite tearing free. Something deep inside me wouldn't let me break the bond of closeness I had formed with my mother since birth. As I entered adulthood, the bond was still there, but it had softened and become flexible, encouraging me to go out and conquer the world.

I smiled inwardly. If a similar bond formed between Bella and our son, then he would have a wonderful life. Bella was a lot like Esme – loving and caring. They were both nurturers at heart, happily taking care of those around them before they took care of themselves. My sibling and my child didn't _know _how lucky they were.

"Yes! You would if Carlisle told you to," Mom snapped in response to Bella's question.

We both grinned. Dad _had_ tried, but we convinced him to let Mom be involved so she wouldn't drive herself – _and him_ – crazy trying to figure out what was going on.

Bella held her hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. Sheesh, Esme, anyone would think you've never planned a wedding before," she said teasingly.

Mom sniffed emotionally. "I haven't. Rose and A...Alice planned their own weddings to Emmett and J…Jasper," she retorted. "I wasn't really involved." Mom picked at her remaining salad lethargically, her appetite gone.

She didn't yet know what the rest of us did about Jasper and Alice, and their unprecedented coldness weighed on her profoundly. Although I now knew _why_ they acted as they did, I still didn't really understand their justification, and my anger with them resurfaced as I saw just _how much_ it had affected my mother.

Bella's face softened as she leaned down to hug Mom. "Esme, even if we were in Hawaii, you would be helping my grandmother and I plan this wedding. You're very important to me and Edward, and I love you dearly."

Mom sniffed, hugging Bella back tightly. "Thank you, sweetheart. That means the world to me." They held each other closely sharing what I can only describe as a mother-daughter moment before slowly parting. Mom wiped her damp eyes, sniffling. "Okay, so tell me what you have planned," she persisted.

I zoned out while they discussed the menu. I vaguely heard them listing the pros and cons of one appetizer over another, with Mom making some suggestions that Bella happily accepted. The one dish mentioned that did catch my attention was the fried pork belly bites. I began to drool. Pork belly was one of my favorite meals. I knew Emmett was partial to it, as well.

"…and I was thinking about fried green tomatoes with mango chutney and a purslane salad with wild almonds and honey dressing," Bella told Mom.

"Ooh, that sounds yummy," Mom, agreed. "I haven't had fried green tomatoes in years. It's a southern dish, you know, made famous by the movie."

Bella looked at Mom curiously. "Which movie?"

Mom's eyes widened in surprise. "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe!" she cried. "Don't tell me you've never seen it?"

Bella shook her head.

"Well, we'll have to watch it sometime," Mom, suggested excitedly. "I think I remember seeing a copy in the DVD collection downstairs. Have you eaten the dish before?"

Bella nodded. "Yes, a few times. A friend of my grandmother's used to make it. She said it was a way to use up her prodigious tomato crop. She showed me how to cook it once, though I've never made it myself."

Mom bounced in the bed. "Oh, I'll help you!" she offered immediately.

"You'll help with _what_, exactly, Esme Cullen?" asked Dad forcefully, as he strode through the open bedroom door. He stood at the foot of the bed eying Mom sternly with his arms crossed in front of his chest. She pouted at him sulkily.

He'd just come from speaking with Jasper and Alice and I wondered how it had gone. He was more relaxed than he'd been the past few days, but the strain caused by Jasper's words still showed around his mouth. I caught his eye and quirked a brow. He nodded tersely, but otherwise gave no visible cues as to how he might have reacted to their explanations.

Jasper and Alice had wanted to talk to Mom, as well, but Dad wouldn't let them. He said he'd hear what they had to say first and then he'd tell his wife in a manner that wouldn't distress her. Only then, would he decide whether Jasper and Alice would be permitted to speak with Esme.

Mom shrugged. "I only suggested helping Bella make a southern dish of fried green tomatoes for the wedding luncheon."

Dad frowned. "Aren't you making the cake?"

She nodded. "Yes, but the tomato dish isn't labor intensive or difficult, Carlisle. I'll be fine," Mom said dismissively. I could see the cogs turning in her head as she planned _how_ to help Bella with the food preparations.

"No."

Mom gasped. "What did you say, Carlisle?"

"I said, no."

Her lips parted in shock. "But…but, Carlisle!"

Bella slid slowly off the bed and we edged quietly to the door, closing it behind us. Neither of us was prepared to get in the middle of momma and papa Cullen arguing this one out. After nearly three days of bed rest, my money was on Mom to wear him down and win. I would be proven right, I discovered later. Dad relented enough to allow Mom to _help_ with the meal preparations as long as she sat down while doing it, and didn't actually 'cook' anything except the cake.

"How do you think Jasper and Alice's discussion went with Carlisle?" Bella asked me, as we walked downstairs.

I shook my head. "I don't know. I'll see if Dad wants to talk about it later, but he looks less stressed, at least, and that's a good thing."

"Yes, I was worried about him … and Esme."

"Yeah. Let's hope things get back on an even keel. If Jasper acts out like that again, I'm gonna beat the shit out of him!" I gritted.

Bella nodded. "Yep, Rose and I feel the same way about Alice. We're tired of her antics. She's not the only one struggling with the hand this island dealt us."

We passed through the dining room where Rose was tutoring Larry in math and English. He was pulling frustratedly on his dreadlocks, gazing longingly in the direction of the silent television.

"Larry, you're the one who asked _me _to teach you," Rose said in her no-nonsense teacher voice. "So, what's it going to be? Do you want to learn how to add more than 2 + 2, or do you want to watch mindless drivel?"

"Um, both, Miss Rose," he replied hopefully. I sniggered and Bella chuckled as well.

"He's quite good with language," Bella imparted, as she opened the fridge to pull out a bowl of eggs. "You might not know it to hear him speak English, but he has a good ear for the Hawaiian language and his pronunciation is excellent." She placed six eggs into a pot and filled it with water from the sink, placing it on the stove to boil.

"What are those for?"

"Hmm?" She looked up from the recipe book she was studying.

"The eggs. What are you making with them?"

"Oh, um, deviled eggs for the luncheon."

My nose wrinkled of its own accord and Bella caught me.

In less time than it took for me to realize my error, she tossed the open book onto the kitchen island where it landed with a crash. She glared at me with one hand on her hip while the fingers of her other hand tapped out a staccato rhythm of irritation against the bench top.

"What! Don't you like eggs, now?" she snapped.

My eyes widened. "Um …" I swallowed nervously. "Yeah, I like eggs just fine."

"Then, what's the problem?"

I edged away from her a couple of steps. "Um, well, deviled eggs aren't really a favorite of mine. They smell funny, and er, I thought we were letting the hens sit on their eggs for chic ..." I trailed off as Bella's face flushed and her eyes glittered dangerously.

_Oh, shit!_

"I _like_ them," she said through gritted teeth. "Esme _likes_ them and so does Rose," she continued as she stepped toward me, her fists clenching beside her. "You don't _have_ to eat them, if you don't want to. In fact, that leaves more for me, if you don't! And for your information, Edward, we _are_ letting the hens sit, but they abandoned these eggs almost immediately."

"Oh." I took another wary step backwards.

Bella finally noticed, frowning. "What are you doing?" she shrieked.

_What the hell just happened? _

One minute she was calmly cooking eggs and reading a recipe book, and the next moment she was angrier than a wasp in a rainstorm.

"Um, getting out of your way," I mumbled.

She stopped dead, cocking her head to the side curiously. "Why?"

"Because…I'm afraid!" I squeaked. My fellow sub officers would be sniggering right now if they could see me.

Bella was frozen in shock for long seconds and then she let out a giggle that escalated into a full-on belly laugh at my expense. I scowled, abandoning my retreat to pout sulkily with my arms crossed defensively in front of my chest. I wasn't used to Bella's sudden mood changes. Normally, she was so even-tempered and calm.

I _liked_ even-tempered and calm.

Bella walked right up to me, sliding her arms around my stiff body.

"Oh, Edward, you're so funny," she said. "I'll make you a deal," she offered innocently. I was immediately suspicious.

"Oh, yes, and what's that?"

She looked up at me, batting her thick curly lashes flirtatiously. "I won't make the deviled eggs _I_ like so much," (I grinned jubilantly), "and you won't eat the pork belly I know _you_ like so much."

My face fell. She grinned triumphantly.

"Does that mean you're still making the pork belly?" I asked sullenly.

"Yes, but you can't have any. It's all for Emmett."

I scowled, and was forced to risk assess the compromise.

On the pro side, if I agreed, Bella wouldn't reek of funny eggs on our wedding night – definitely a bonus. On the con side, I wouldn't be allowed to eat the pork belly, and knowing my brother's fondness for the dish, he wouldn't leave me any of it, either.

On the other hand, if I retracted my complaint about the funny eggs, Bella would probably fart all night, but I'd get to gorge myself on succulent pork bites.

I was gonna lose, one way or another.

Which option was the greater loss?

"Make the damned eggs!"

…

The next day was a flurry of activity in the house as the women finalized preparations for the wedding luncheon. Mom was allowed out of bed for the first time in days, under strict orders to take it easy and rest when she felt herself tiring. Mom made the cake in the morning under Rosalie's supervision whilst Bella was banned from the kitchen.

Bella and Alice used the available time to make final adjustments to Bella's gown as well as Alice's dress, which I'm told is a muumuu of Bella's that needed to be altered. I had in my head the image of a tent-like garment swamping the tiny dark-haired woman, but Bella assured me it was a long fitted dress – white with a blue floral print, ruffled short sleeves and a boat neckline – _whatever the hell that meant_.

Before all of the drama, Bella had asked Alice – her closest friend – to be her matron of honor. I reciprocated by asking Jasper – the brother I felt was a kindred spirit – to be my best man.

After all the shit that went down, we'd seriously considered reneging and doing without attendants, but in the end, we felt that it would be unfair to _us_ not to have the wedding that _we_ wanted. We also wanted the angst to dissipate and in the end, we thought revoking our invitations would be spiteful and childish, something they had been, but we didn't aspire to.

My father sought me out while I was putting the final floral touches on the wedding arch my brothers had made. It consisted of four poles in a square. Each pole was topped with a green palm frond that curved toward the center making a crown. The ends had been tied to maintain the shape. As I began filling the gourd vases on the second pole, Dad appeared by my side.

"Hello, Edward."

I looked up in surprise. "Dad! Hi."

"I've wanted to speak with you," he said quietly.

I nodded. "I wanted to speak with you, as well."

He stood with his hands hidden in his pockets, rocking lightly on his feet. "The arch looks good. This spot by the stream with the waterfall in the background is a pretty place for the ceremony," he complimented.

"Yeah, Bella and I thought about getting married on the beach, but we didn't really want the specter of Victory in the background reminding us why we're here, and why this marriage isn't exactly legal."

"I 'spose not."

"How are you, Dad? You spoke with Jasper and Alice?"

He nodded. "Yes, that's what I want to talk to you about. Come sit down with me, Edward."

He gestured to a couple of plastic folding chairs. When we were settled on the seats and leaning forward with our hands hanging between our legs, Dad began.

"Jasper and Alice told me about the intervention you staged with the others. Thank you, son." His voice caught in his throat.

I turned my head to acknowledge him, but otherwise remained silent. I felt that Dad had more to say.

"It's what I should have done weeks ago, before all this…" He struggled to find a suitable descriptor, "before all this garbage transformed into sewage."

"Why didn't you?" I asked curiously.

Dad sighed, sitting back on his chair. "At first, I thought it would blow over. You, Emmett and Larry had come to me with your questions and you were obviously happy for me and your mother. As time went on and Jasper's opinion didn't change, I began to feel that I deserved his acrimony," he explained.

"As thrilled as your mother is about this baby, deep down, I felt the pregnancy _was _my fault. I didn't protect her. I should have known better, and I didn't take any precautions to protect her from such a risky condition. I began to believe that my selfish needs _had_ endangered Esme, and everything Jasper was saying only reinforced my fears."

"Dad, that's ridiculous!" I protested.

He chuckled ironically. "Thank you, son. I realize that now. Your mother quickly disabused me of my silly notions – calling them absurd, selfish, and destructive. Esme was having similar issues with Alice and we both tried to talk with them, but they clammed up. I don't know exactly what went down between Alice and your mother, but I'm fairly certain I'm not going to like it," he said curtly. "In the end with Jasper, I decided to retreat and wait for him to come around."

"Except, he didn't," I pointed out needlessly.

He shook his head.

"How did you and Mom react to Jazz and Ally's explanations for their behavior?"

Dad's mouth tightened. "I understand Jasper's reaction now, but I'm still bloody furious with him. What he failed to realize, was his antics may have resulted in something similar happening to his own mother. I warned all of you that stress is not good for her…hell it's not good for Bella or Rose either, and they're decades younger than Esme!"

I nodded. "And Alice?"

Dad sighed. "I had no idea she'd had three previous miscarriages – neither had your mother. We're deeply saddened they never thought to confide in us," he shared. "Apparently, she and Jasper have been trying to have a baby for years. She was genuinely happy for Rose and Emmett, but it all became too much for her when Bella and Esme joined the maternity ranks…especially Esme, since normally her childbearing years would be over and done with, and yet…here we are."

"She's jealous," I confirmed.

"Yes, and emotionally injured by the unfairness of it all – as she sees it."

I coughed. "Dad, could Alice's medication for depression have caused the miscarriages?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't believe so. There's no clinical evidence that Zoloft will cause a woman to miscarry. There is some evidence that certain antidepressants may cause defects in the infant, but the risk is considered low and Zoloft is one of the safer drug options during pregnancy."

"Oh. That was probably another reason why Jasper was so pissed with Alice when he found out about her depression," I remarked. "If they were trying to get pregnant, she should have been candid with him."

"Yes."

"What if it happens again? What will the kava do?"

Dad rubbed his face worriedly. "I don't know enough about the clinical research into the effects of kava on a developing embryo or fetus, and I told Alice when she started the regime that pregnant women should not take it. She should have told me then about her previous pregnancies. She's a foolish girl … and self destructive," he proclaimed.

We sat quietly for a few minutes, listening to the waterfall as it cascaded into the stream below. The sound was soothing to senses that felt overloaded with angst.

"Tell me what happened at the intervention with Alice," Dad said after a while.

I knew this was coming when he commented earlier about not knowing what happened between Mom and Alice. I frantically tried to think of a stalling mechanism. I needed to figure out what to tell Dad, or at the very least, try to downplay the seriousness of the situation. What we didn't need, was a resurgence of hostilities, just when it seemed like we'd brokered a ceasefire.

"There's no point in stalling, Edward. I want to know what happened between Esme and Alice, and you're _going_ to tell me."

I sighed, resigned to telling my father everything. "Most of it was pretty much the same thing you experienced with Jasper – the cold shoulder treatment, snarky remarks within earshot of Mom, about how women in their 50s shouldn't be having babies."

Dad stiffened. A violent tick began beside his mouth and his eye, distorting his face. I swallowed nervously when Dad waved me on curtly.

"What else?" he bit out.

"Um, one morning, Alice deliberately closed the bathroom door in Mom's face when she was desperate to get in there." Dad clenched his teeth in rage. I could hear them grinding together from two feet away. I was afraid he'd break a tooth.

"Anything else?" He could barely speak, his fury was so consuming.

I searched desperately for a way not to tell Dad the worst of it. "She stuck Bella with a pin," I volunteered evasively.

"What!"

"Um, yeah. Alice deliberately stuck Bella with a pin while she was hemming her wedding gown. Bella and Rose were talking about Mom and the sex of the babies. Alice lost it."

"Is Bella alright?"

"Yeah."

Dad stood up to pace agitatedly along the streams shoreline. He stopped in front of me, clutching his blonde, silver streaked hair. In that moment, I was looking at a reflection of myself in 30 years time, excepting the hair color.

"Tell me the rest of it, Edward! I know there's something else. Tell me now!"

_Shit! Oh, fuck it all!_

Alice brought it all on herself. I didn't see why any of us should protect her. What she'd done, or rather, hadn't done was deplorable! If she'd had any moxie at all, she would have confessed what she'd done to Dad herself. I knew Mom would never rat her out. Despite Alice's recent behavior toward her, she loved Alice like a daughter.

"I want you to understand, Dad, that Bella told us this story. Alice didn't deny any of it, so I can only assume that she had no defense to offer. Jasper didn't know about it, and he's pretty appalled, as well."

Dad nodded curtly. "Get on with it, Edward."

I stood up to pace like a caged cat as my father had done a few moments ago. My hand went into my hair defensively.

"About a week ago, Bella was weeding in the garden. Mom was sitting in the sun on the front veranda having a cup of tea and reading a book, when Alice flounced out of the house. Mom called Alice over and some type of argument ensued. Bella couldn't hear what they were saying, but Mom looked really upset."

"Go on."

"Bella was walking over to intervene when Mom stood up too quickly and she swayed dizzily. Bella said Mom lost her balance and began to fall. She yelped and called out to Alice to help her, and she…"

"She what?" Dad demanded, deadly quiet. His fists were clenched beside his legs.

I gulped nervously. "Alice deliberately turned her back and walked away," I whispered.

Dad collapsed onto his folding chair in appalled shock. He was as pale as a ghost.

"I…I never thought that Alice would do something so…so…" His head jerked around, piercing me with cerulean blue eyes. "Did your mother collapse? Was she hurt? Why didn't _I_ know about this!"

I hastily shook my head. "No! Bella was already on the steps to the house when Mom began to fall. She got to her in time to ease her into a chair, and then she calmed her down and got her some water. Apparently, she asked Bella not to say anything. Against her better judgment, Bella agreed, but she didn't like it. She said if it happened again, she'd tell you everything."

Dad narrowed his eyes at me. "Did _you_ know about this?"

"No, not until yesterday morning when it all came out at Alice's intervention."

Dad cradled his head in his hands as he stared at the ground. He was totally devastated by Alice's behavior toward his wife. It was worse than even Jasper's conduct toward him.

"You know, I don't even know if I can be in the same room with her, right now," Dad said angrily. "I really wish Alice would just grow the _fuck_ up!" he spat.

I didn't say anything. What could I say? He was right.

Finally, Dad stood up. "I'll take care of this, Edward. I will deal with Alice in my own way, and I'll be speaking to Esme about keeping secrets. There's been too much of it recently. I'd appreciate it, if you'd broach the subject with Bella, as well."

I nodded. "I will, Dad, but not before the wedding. Tomorrow should be a happy day for all of us, especially Bella and Mom. They're so looking forward to it."

"I agree. How long will you and Bella be away for?"

"Three nights."

"Alright. I will speak with Esme while you're on your honeymoon. If you could speak with Bella before you come back…"

"I will."

Dad walked off in a daze, and I returned to decorating the wedding arch.

I didn't know what else to do, so I did the only thing I could think of.

I tried to put it all out of my mind.

…

The morning of the 25th of January dawned bright and clear. The entire household was out of bed by 6.30 – each of us with a list of tasks to complete before the wedding took place at noon.

Last night had been the first evening Mom had joined us for a meal in nearly 4 days. Bella celebrated the auspicious event by serving a meal of pork schnitzel with grilled lime halves, mashed potato and ratatouille. Everyone ate with great enjoyment, except – funnily enough – Jasper and Alice. Though they had come clean (to a certain extent) with Mom and Dad, relations would take time to recover and they were feeling guilty. The silence at the dinner table was deafening.

After a quick, cold breakfast, I was ready to head for the grotto. I wanted to prepare it for our arrival later this afternoon, by making the bed and arranging some flowers.

Bella already had a cooler of food packed and iced – enough to last three days – and Larry volunteered to help me carry it. I made him promise that if I showed him where the grotto was, he wasn't to interrupt unless it was a dire emergency. He agreed reluctantly. I think he really wanted to distance himself from the residual tension in the house. I couldn't blame him – I felt the same way.

"Larry, are you ready to go?" I called through the house.

"I be right down, Mr Red!" he yelled from upstairs.

Turning to Bella, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. "Well, Miss Swan, are you ready to become Mrs Cullen?"

"Mm hmm." She snuggled against me, rubbing her face against my chest. "Oh, definitely, Lieutenant Cullen." Lifting her head back, she looked up at me, chewing on her lip worriedly. "Are you _sure_ you're okay with the music selection for the ceremony?"

I smiled reassuringly, as I stroked the hair away from her face. "Yes, baby, I'm sure."

I wanted Debussy's Clair de Lune for the wedding song. Bella and Mom had their hearts set on something a little more contemporary with a Hawaiian theme. Their choice was a bit corny, but the music didn't really matter to me. I was only interested in Bella's happiness. She could have Metallica blasting from the stereo speakers, for all I cared.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, if you're sure?"

My eyes rolled. "Yes, I'm sure!"

She pulled away from me as we heard Larry bounding down the stairs.

"Do you have your bag packed, Bella? I'll take it with me now, if you like?"

"Yes, I'll go get it."

She ran lightly up the stairs and was back in less than a minute with a backpack. Hauling it over my shoulder, I noticed it wasn't that heavy, and I quirked a brow at her curiously. She shrugged and blushed, spiking my interest even further. What did she have in this bag – or perhaps the better question was – what didn't she have?

I wasn't used to dealing with women who traveled light. Alice and Rose never went anywhere overnight without at least 40 pounds of luggage rolling behind them. Mom was a little more circumspect, but I'd seen her with at least 20 pounds on more than one occasion.

I handed Larry another pack containing two towels and some toiletries, and we were ready to go.

"I'll see you at the altar," I quipped, as I leaned down to kiss her goodbye.

"I'll be the one in white," she quipped back cheekily.

…

"Wow, this place is so cool, Mr Red!" Larry crowed as he explored the hut and the grotto pool. "Can I come here with you and Miss Bella sometime?"

I stiffened and my eyes widened. _Not bloody likely!_

"Er, Larry, it's kind of a romantic place – you know, for couples."

His face fell. "Oh. I'd be in the way."

I felt badly for him. "I tell you what – how about we all come here one day and we can swim in the pool. That way, no one will feel like a third wheel."

He immediately brightened. "Okay, Mr Red." He paused for a moment. "When?"

My eyes rolled. Persistence – thy name is Larry.

"Soon, Larry – when the weather gets warmer. Now, go and explore while I make the bed."

I watched him walking around the edge of the pool. He pulled his shoes off and sat down on the ledge to dangle his feet in the cool water, and then I lost track of him as I made the bed with fresh, crisp white sheets and arranged the towels over the bamboo drying rack. Emmett and I had rigged a small shower stall behind the hut, so we wouldn't pollute the pool with soapy residue. There was no pump for the water, so he rigged a reservoir that would need to be filled by hand. It was worth the inconvenience for a few days of solitude.

As I was tucking a basket of leaves into the commode closet, I was suddenly struck with an epiphany. Now that we knew how to make paper, we might be able to find another, more practical use for the precious commodity. I made a mental note to talk to my father.

Tucking the cooler into a corner of the tiki kitchen, I hung two gourd water bottles similar to the one Jasper received for Christmas from hooks hanging from the ceiling. As I was fussing with the vase of flowers, Larry walked inside looking like a drowned rat.

My eyes rolled in exasperation as he dripped all over the floor. He went to shake himself like a dog would do, to shed itself of excess water. I quickly raised my hand, pointing my index finger at him in warning.

"Don't. You. Even. **THINK.** About it!" I hissed through clenched teeth.

He stopped dead still, like a statue.

"Get outside now and take those wet clothes off." I followed him out of the hut rubbing at the stabbing, Larry-induced pain in my left temple. _I could do without his crap today._

"What the hell happened, Larry? Did you fall in, or did you just decide to go swimming fully dressed?" I snarled sarcastically. I knew either option was a valid possibility when it came to Larry.

He shivered, pulling his clinging t-shirt over his head and then unbuttoning his jeans. I reached out with a steadying hand on his shoulder as he pulled the wet denim off each leg with difficulty.

"Nah, Mr Red. I was explorin' like you told me to. I found a cave behind the waterfall."

_Holy crap!_

Why did Larry _always do_ the least obvious thing you expected him to do. It was almost as though his brain was programmed to get into as much trouble as possible. I sighed dramatically.I blamed myself. I never told him _not _to go behind the waterfall or into the cave. Sighing, I asked the question I didn't really want to know the answer to.

"You didn't go inside, did you, Larry?

He nodded dumbly.

_Fuuuuuck! Bella was gonna kill me._

I made an effort to calm myself down, breathing deeply while thinking of pleasant non-Larry thoughts – pork belly bites, our wedding night, pork belly bites, our baby son, the honeymoon, pork belly bites…I felt myself drooling…and calming.

"Did you disturb _anything_ in the cave?" I asked quietly.

Larry shook his head. "Nah, it was real dark, so I didn't go in very far."

I blew out through pursed lips, manifestly relieved. It seemed he hadn't entered the burial chamber – only the tunnel. Larry was staring at the ground worriedly, afraid I was angry with him.

"Look at me, Larry." I waited until he turned his face up, so my eyes connected with his. "I'm not angry with you, but you mustn't go inside the cave again. It's a Polynesian burial site and it's sacred to Miss Bella's people. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mr Red," he said miserably.

"You can play in the waterfall – just don't go inside the cave," I relented.

He brightened visibly. "I can?"

"Yes, you can…but you might want to wear your swim trunks next time."

He blinked, as if the idea had never once occurred to him.

…

This was it.

It was midday on the dot and in about five minutes, my Hawaiian princess would come walking toward me where I waited for her by the edge of the house. From there, I would escort her along a pathway of plumeria blooms to the wedding arch where our family waited for us.

I fidgeted nervously on my bare feet adjusting my white pants and open neck, button down shirt. Reaching up, I twitched the groom's lei of maile leaves, interspersed with white plumeria that hung loosely around my neck like a scarf. It was beautiful. Bella had made it herself, presenting it to me via my father just an hour before.

Soft music sounded from the stereo positioned near a window on the side of the house nearest the stream where the ceremony would take place. Looking over my shoulder impatiently, I could see my Dad standing at the rear of the arch. Beside him was a small table covered with a tablecloth holding a vase of foliage and flowers. There was something else lying flat on the table, but I couldn't quite see what it was from where I stood.

Mom, Larry, Rose and Emmett were seated in front of the arch on the folding plastic chairs, while Jasper stood opposite Dad waiting for me to arrive with my bride. Like me, they were both fidgeting in awkward silence, not knowing what to say to each other.

I sighed.

No! I would not worry about their relationship today. This was _our_ day. Mine and Bella's.

Without me realizing, the music segued into the delicate melody of Clair de Lune and Alice walked sedately around the side of the house. She was also bare foot. She looked lovely in her muumuu with a plumeria lei around her neck, which matched the posy she carried in her hands. I smiled at her as she passed by.

Her eyes widened – plainly surprised I'd acknowledged her at all.

Like I said, this was mine and Bella's day.

Dissension in the ranks would _not_ be tolerated – not even from me.

I watched her retreating form as she walked along the plumeria pathway. Jasper visibly straightened at the appearance of his wife. He stared transfixed as he waited for her at the end of the aisle. As the music reached its crescendo, I turned around to greet my bride and I forgot to breathe.

She was breathtaking.

Truly, I had never seen a more beautiful bride and I felt tears form in the corners of my eyes. I reached up to wipe them away, so I could look upon her with unobstructed vision. I would not willingly miss a single, unforgettable second.

Her gown was, simply put, a triumph and a testament to Alice's skill with a needle and thread. The white damask tablecloth had been transformed into an off-the-shoulder, sleeveless, fitted gown that skimmed Bella's figure to the knees before belling out to settle over her feet. The skirt spread out into a short train on the ground behind her. Her pink, polished toes peeked out from under the front hem with every step she took toward me.

I blinked rapidly as I comprehended just how very beautiful she was. My senses were so overwhelmed I was without speech. I literally could not utter a coherent sound other than a hum of contentment. Her lightly made up features beamed her own joy from sparkling eyes.

I walked toward her in a daze, completely mesmerized by the vision of Bella before my eyes. In that moment, an exact image of how she looked was burned into my retinas to be portrayed later in vibrant watercolor by my hand.

It would be my best artistic creation – ever.

I concentrated only on her as we walked the last few yards toward each other. Her glorious hair had been pulled back into an elegant coif on the back of her head, and the left side of her hair was adorned with a posy of white Hawaiian hibiscus. Around her neck, she wore the stunning cream, pink and red shell lei she received for her birthday, and in her hands, she carried a cascading bouquet of plumeria, interspersed with white and blood red hibiscus.

When we were three feet apart, I stopped and bowed from the waist in recognition of her royal status. As I stood erect once again, she inclined her head in acknowledgment, offering her right hand to me in return. Bowing my head over her small hand, I kissed her slender fingers, grazing the clear green gem of her engagement ring. Her left hand was bare and hidden beneath the bouquet she carried, in preparation to receive my gold ring in matrimony.

"Bella, you are so very beautiful," I whispered hoarsely.

She smiled broadly and giggled. "So are you."

I half smiled. Only Bella would call me beautiful. "I love you."

Her eyes softened. "I love you, too."

The opening bars of our chosen wedding music playing from the stereo, was our cue to begin the walk to the altar.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded, and I held my left arm out to the side. Tucking her right hand under and around my forearm, she took a deep breath to alleviate any nervousness. I smiled and winked at her reassuringly and, to my surprise, she winked back.

As we walked, the haunting notes of Elvis Presley's Hawaiian Wedding Song filled the air. Not even the parrots dared interrupt my bride's and my mother's favorite entertainer singing the romantic wedding ballad as we walked along the flower strewn aisle.

_This is the moment_

_I've waited for_  
><em>I can hear my heart singing<em>  
><em>Soon bells will be ringing<em>

_This is the moment_

_Of sweet Aloha_  
><em>I will love you longer than forever<em>  
><em>Promise me that you will leave me never<em>

_Here and now dear_  
><em>All my love, I vow dear<em>  
><em>Promise me that you will leave me never<em>  
><em>I will love you longer than forever<em>

_U-a, si-la_  
><em>Pa-a ia me o-e<em>  
><em>Ko a-lo-ha ma-ka-mea e i-po<em>  
><em>Ka-'u ia e le-i a-e ne-i la<em>

_Now that we are one_  
><em>Clouds won't hide the sun<em>  
><em>Blue skies of Hawaii smile<em>  
><em>On this, our wedding day<em>  
><em>I do, love you, with all my heart<em>

Mom turned in her seat to watch us. Tears filled her eyes and she brought a fist to her mouth as her erratic emotions threatened to overtake her. Emmett winked at me and Larry showed us two thumbs up, while Rose's lips curved into her trademark Mona Lisa smile – neither too much, nor too little – suitable for any occasion.

Before us, Dad, Alice and Jasper awaited our arrival. They all wore genuine smiles for the first time in many weeks. Bella's head leaned close to me and I bent my head slightly to hear her whispered words.

"Look, they're all smiling. Isn't it wonderful?"

"It's a miracle," I replied, and I wasn't being sarcastic.

As we arrived at the arch, Bella handed her bouquet to Alice and turned to face me. We held hands, lost in each other's eyes as we waited for my father to begin. As he spoke the first words, the sun shone a beam through the tree canopy bathing us in bright light. It only lasted a few seconds, but I accepted it as a sign that what we were doing – our commitment to each other – was perfect and blessed by my father's God.

Dad smiled upon us and began his official duties, reading from a piece of handmade parchment folded into a book.

"Welcome everyone as we share in the celebration of two special people. More than a ceremony, this is a significant moment of celebration and personal commitment between Edward and Bella. From this day forward they will become closer than ever before, as they make promises to love each other, to give each other strength, and to nurture each other's dreams and aspirations."

Mom sniffed delicately – once…twice…three times. Bella and I smiled and ducked our heads, peeking at Dad. He quirked his brow and half smiled, looking upon his wife with indulgent eyes.

"You get used to it," he murmured, tongue in cheek.

Emmett, overhearing the tart remark, chuckled.

Larry whipped a white handkerchief from his shirt pocket and handed it to Mom. She dabbed at her eyes and then waved it at Dad, signaling him to keep going with the ceremony.

My eyes met my fathers._ Yes, get on with it, Dad!_

He nodded and spoke for the benefit of our witnesses. "For the vows, Edward and Bella chose to speak traditional marriage vows, followed by some personal vows of commitment they wish to speak to each other."

Clearing his throat, Dad faced me solemnly.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, do you take Isabella Manulani Kealoha Swan to be your committed partner? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and respect her? Do you promise to share all life has to offer, your hopes and dreams, your achievements and disappointments with her from this day forward?"

"I do," I promised softly. Her hands squeezed mine.

Smiling, Dad turned to face Bella.

"Isabella Manulani Kealoha Swan, do you take Edward Anthony Masen Cullen to be your committed partner? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and respect him? Do you promise to share all life has to offer, your hopes and dreams, your achievements and disappointments with him from this day forward?"

"I do," she replied. There was no hesitancy in her voice.

Dad nodded again. "Now, Bella will speak her personal vows to Edward, who will then reciprocate with his personal vows to Bella."

Bella looked deeply into my eyes. When she spoke, her voice was strong and true.

"Edward, when you need strength, I will offer mine. When you need words of encouragement, I will listen and support you. When you need solace and comfort, I will understand. I place you in my heart today, and I pledge to work from this hour forward to make our commitment an everlasting one. I take you as my lifelong partner and in doing so, I offer you this flower ..."

Alice handed Bella a yellow hibiscus on a long stem that had been lying on the table. She held it out to me and I grasped it between my fingers as she spoke her remaining vows.

"This flower is a symbol of the love that is consecrated today. Let us always remember that it must be nurtured and given care to grow and thrive. Let us always act together as we nurture our love, our children and our life."

My chest tightened with emotion as I fought back the tears that wanted to flow. I needed to be coherent enough to speak my own vows. Besides, Mom and Larry were wailing enough for all of us.

"Bella, we are joining here today, because we love and respect each other, and, because we are committed to sharing together the triumphs and trials of the days to come. I take you as my lifelong partner. I offer all that I am in return, and I pledge to remember every day of our life, why we unite here today."

I swallowed, whispering the remainder of my vows.

"Having found you, I have decided there is no moment in my life more significant than this one. In this moment, I offer myself to you. Everything I am and everything I will become is because of you. May we share with each other from this day on, the unending joy of growth and discovery."

Dad coughed and wiped a tear from his eyes, before croaking the next part of the ceremony.

"Jasper, do you have the rings?"

"Yes."

Jasper reached into his pant pocket, retrieving the rings tied together with a thin white ribbon. Lord…and probably Alice…only know, which item of intimate apparel the ribbon was stolen from. Jasper placed the rings on Victory's bible, which Dad had taken from the table.

"These rings represent the eternity of love, the purity of love and remind us that we should defend and protect those which we hold most precious. This ribbon ties the rings together just as the rings you exchange will tie you together."

Dad pulled the ribbon, freeing the golden rings. Handing the yellow hibiscus stem I held to Jasper, I picked up my ring for Bella, bringing it to my lips to bestow a kiss on the warm metal.

"Edward, as you place the ring on Bella's finger, please repeat after me: With this ring, I commit to you, and offer you a symbol of my everlasting love and devotion."

I repeated the vow, sliding the golden ring onto the third finger of her left hand. It was a perfect fit, as I knew it would be. Bella looked upon the symbol of our union with tears of wonder in her eyes.

"It's beautiful, Edward," she sobbed. I wiped the tears from her cheeks with my thumbs. Bella sniffled and picked up her ring for me. She bestowed a kiss and then looked at Dad expectantly.

"Bella, as you place the ring on Edward's finger, please repeat after me…"

She repeated the vow, her voice finally breaking. "With this ring, I commit to you, and offer you a symbol of my everlasting love and devotion," she promised, sliding the wide gold band over my knuckles.

"Jasper, Alice, Esme, Emmett, Rose and Larry – Edward and Bella have declared before me and before all of you – their family and friends – that they will live together united in their commitment to each other – in marriage."

Dad smiled broadly. "As the officiant over this ceremony, it is my great pleasure to declare Edward and Bella, husband and wife." He paused for dramatic effect. "Edward, you may _now_ kiss your bride."

A grin split my face so wide, I thought it might be rendered permanent. Holding her heart shaped face between my large hands, I bent and kissed her plump, pink mouth. Our tongues touched gently, as our lips moved against each other.

I wanted to kiss her forever.

As I pulled her into my arms and against my chest to deepen our embrace, a cheer and applause sounded around us. Bella was the first to pull gently away as she turned to face our family with a shy smile and a blush of embarrassment.

Emmett reared to his feet and swept me into a manly hug of congratulations.

"Welcome to the club, Edward," he said. "Your life will _never_ be the same again!"

Rose, who was standing behind him, whacked her husband over the crown of his head with the back of her hand. The look of surprise on his face was priceless, though I don't know why. In nearly a decade of marriage he'd been on the receiving end of his wife's punishments for his inappropriate remarks more times than he could count.

"You could have warned me, bro," he whispered, as Rose moved away to kiss and hug Bella. He rubbed his head, moving aside to speak with Dad, so that Jasper could offer me his own good wishes.

Jasper held out his hand. I took it and we shook. "Congratulations, Edward. Bella is a wonderful woman. You're going to be very happy together. The love you have for her surrounds you like an aura."

"Thank you, Jasper."

"Um, congratulations about the baby, as well. I don't think I actually conveyed to you and Bella how happy I am for you both. You'll be a great father."

"Thanks, Jazz. It means a lot to me." I debated whether to say something about his own difficulties. "Your moment will come, Jasper," I told him at last. "Just give it time."

He swallowed and nodded, but was unable to articulate. After a long companionable silence he said, "I want to thank you for everything you did. I don't know what came over me and I don't deserve your forgiveness for the way I treated our father … and you. But, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day. I…I miss you, Edward."

"I miss you too, Jasper. We'll talk when I return from my honeymoon. In the meantime, know that I love you – you'll always have that, no matter how much of a prick you turn into," I joked.

He snorted. "Thanks!"

I was distracted by the view of my wife – _my wife! _– engulfed between my parents as they welcomed her officially to the Cullen family. As my parents released her from their embrace, she and my mother wiped their tear filled eyes.

From my peripheral vision, I saw Jasper move away to join his wife as she stood alone, slightly away from the others. They were lone figures looking upon the revelers as if they were outsiders. I sighed inwardly – the only way they would repair the damage they'd caused, was to become involved. The only ones isolating them…was them.

A grinning Larry came up to me just then holding his hand out. I grasped it and he shook my hand vigorously as he squeezed. I felt the bones in my hand protest.

_Ow._

As he released my hand, I dropped it inconspicuously to my side where I flexed it, trying to coax the feeling to return in my fingers.

_Shit, this guy was strong._

Larry watched my reaction with a puzzled expression. A glimmer of surprised understanding flared in his eyes, and he nodded as though pleased with the new knowledge.

"Congrats, Mr Red."

"Thanks, Larry."

He cocked his head to one side as he stared at me. "You 'sponsible for Miss Bella, now?"

I looked at him curiously. What was on his mind?

"Yeah," I nodded. "Yes, Larry, I'm _responsible_ for Miss Bella. I'm her husband and she's my wife."

He nodded. "Then you look after her real well, Mr Red, cuz Miss Bella is special and husbands are 'sposed to look after their wifes – 'cept for my Dad didn't – he wasn't a good husband."

"I will, Larry, I promise," I reassured him.

He held his hand out to me again and my eyes widened. _Not again!_ Reluctantly, I grasped his hand, bracing myself for the painful constriction.

"That's good, Mr Red." And then he squeezed …

And squeezed…and squeezed…and squeezed.

I yelped involuntarily, and it felt like a blood vessel burst in my eye.

Satisfaction gleamed from Larry's boyish face.

"Cuz, I'd hate to have to…really hurt ya, if you don't do right by Miss Bella."

I gulped, and Larry released his excruciating grip on my hand.

_Oh, crap!_

He'd just threatened me, I realized, massaging my stiff hand.

"When's lunch ready, do ya know?" he asked out of left field. "I'm hungry."

I blinked. Just like that, our bumbling boy was back.

…

"Oh, Edward!" cried Mom. She hurried toward me across the soft grass with her arms held out. Dad jogged behind her protectively.

I found myself being enfolded in her warm embrace. I held her with one arm around her back, holding my other out to Dad. He shook it while Mom wept tears of happiness and hormones against my white shirt.

"Congratulations, Edward."

"Thanks, Dad. The ceremony was beautiful. If you ever want to change careers, I think you might have found your next calling."

He laughed. "I was proud to do it, son, but I think I'll be sticking to medicine."

I glanced over at Bella who was being bear-hugged to within an inch of her life by Emmett. Her face began to flush in response to the lack of oxygen, and her tiny hands batted uselessly at his massive shoulders.

"Christ almighty," I muttered, gently detaching myself from my weeping mother. As far as I could tell, she hadn't stopped crying for 20 minutes. "That lug doesn't know his own strength," I growled.

Dad followed the direction of my gaze, huffing in exasperation.

Without ceremony, I surrendered Mom into Dad's arms and stalked across the grass to rescue my wife.

"Emmett!" I yelled, "let Bella go before she passes out."

Rose, who was conversing with Alice and Jasper, rolled resigned eyes, and hurried to Bella's rescue … or perhaps it was Emmett's, since an expression of alarm lit her face when she tracked my movements toward her husband.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, checking her arms for bruising. Finding none, I pulled her into my side protectively, glaring at Emmett. He scrunched his face apologetically.

She laughed. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just running short on air there, for a minute."

Dad walked over with Mom, seating her in a folding chair. "Gather around, everyone. We have one more task to complete before we enjoy lunch and wedding cake." He brought another folding chair over to the table by the arch.

Bella looked at me with a perplexed expression.

I shrugged. "I don't know what it is, either."

"Edward and Bella, Jasper and Alice, will you come closer, please." He slid a sheet of parchment off the table, and picked up a pen.

"While your mother was resting for the last four days, she was also working on something important and special for Edward and Bella." He paused dramatically. "What I hold isn't just a sheet of paper – it's your marriage certificate."

Dad turned the paper over and laid it face up on the table.

Bella gasped, but I was struck silent. The A3 sheet of paper had been painted a light blue color within a decorative border. Darker text had been painted onto the blue background in a lovely calligraphy. It read:

_Certificate of Marriage_

_Lt. Edward Anthony Masen Cullen and HRH Princess Isabella Manulani Kealoha Swan_

_Of the State of Hawaii, United States of America_

_Were united in marriage on this day, the 25th of January in the year 2013_

_On Isabella Island, Northern Line Islands, Pacific Ocean_

_This ceremony was officiated by Doctor Carlisle A Cullen_

_This ceremony was witnessed and celebrated by_

_Esme Platt Cullen_

_Emmett Dale McCarty Cullen and Rosalie Hale Cullen_

_Jasper Whitlock Cullen and Mary Alice Brandon Cullen_

_Laurence "Larry" Vincent_

There were lines for our signatures, as well as Jasper and Alice's as our witnesses, and Dad's as the officiant. I stared at my mother in awe, whispering, "thank you" to her. She smiled lovingly, before standing up to walk to her husband's side.

Dad held the pen out to me. "Edward, would you like to do the honors?"

I nodded dumbly, stepping forward to accept the pen.

I leaned over the table, adding my signature above the line that said Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. Side-stepping, I made room at the table for Jasper to add his signature, and then it was Bella's turn to sign.

Her face was shining with sheer happiness as she accepted the pen and sat down to affix her signature above the line that said HRH Pr. Isabella Manulani Kealoha Swan. Alice signed the certificate, followed by Dad, and then it was official.

We were married, and we had a certificate of marriage to prove it.

Dad loosely rolled the precious sheet of parchment, tying it with the white ribbon that had united the rings. He handed it to me and I accepted it reverently. Bella stroked the roll of parchment with her fingertips, as she blathered appreciatively to Mom. They embraced each other, and I shook my father's hand for the second time that day.

Only I noticed Alice staring at Mom and Bella with an expression of sadness mixed with jealousy.

I sighed. _Would that girl never learn?_

…

Shortly thereafter, we retired to the house for lunch.

The dining room table had been laid with linen and decorated in a beachy-tropical theme with flowers, shells and candles. Emmett went straight to the side-board where a bar had been set out. He poured fruit juice for the expectant mothers and Larry, and vodka lime crushes for the rest of us.

"Here's to Edward and Bella," he toasted, "may they have many happy years together … chin, chin." Glasses clinked and then we drank.

Bella set her glass down to slide her engagement ring off her right hand and onto the finger holding her new wedding band. They looked good together – the warm gold cuddling up to the Koa wood and peridot gem. Gently grasping her hand, I raised her fingers to my mouth to bestow a kiss against her rings.

Mom and Rosalie disappeared into the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later with the first of the luncheon courses to enjoy. The aromas wafting from the platters were drool worthy.

"Can I get you a plate of food?" I asked Bella, as she talked quietly with Dad. His eagle eyes followed Mom's every move into and out of the kitchen.

She smiled and nodded. "Don't forget the deviled eggs," she reminded me pointedly.

I scowled. Dad laughed, knowing how much I disliked them.

Picking up a plate, I joined the queue behind our two biggest eaters – Emmett and Larry – whose plates were piled high. The selection of dishes was surprising. Bella and Mom had surpassed our expectations yet again.

I selected two of the eggs, my nose wrinkling involuntarily. I noticed that it was the only dish Emmett and Larry had passed by.

_See – I wasn't the only one who hated the funny eggs!_

I popped a delicious goat's cheese, tomato and basil toast into my mouth, plating two for Bella, and then scooped up some of the salad. I bypassed the cold shrimp and cocktail sauce in favor of barbequed baby octopus and a vegetable kebab. As I selected silverware, Mom came in with the platter of pork belly bites, followed by Rosalie with the fried green tomatoes encased in their golden skin of bread crumbs.

I was so excited, I almost dropped Bella's dinner plate. Emmett and Larry appeared out of thin air, their noses following the alluring scent of fried pork. Mom must have noted the fear on my face as they crowded the table, because she scooped some of the coveted meat and tomatoes onto Bella's plate, promising to fix one for me, while I took Bella her meal.

"Thank you, Mom," I breathed in appreciation. Leaning down, I kissed her cheek.

We spent a couple of hours enjoying our reception – eating, laughing, talking and dancing.

While we were engaged in the bridal dance – swaying to Shania Twain and Bryan White's duet of _Just this Moment _– Mom sat quietly with some artists paper and pencils, sketching a wedding picture for us, since we didn't have a camera.

By the time Dad brought the cake in (Mom had been relegated to the sofa), I was stuffed to the gills on pork belly bites, and the plate of funny eggs was empty. Morosely, I wondered how many Bella had consumed – I'd seen her loitering at the buffet table more than once during the afternoon.

The presentation of the cake took place in the living room. I limped in, conscious of my tender toes where Bella had trod on them repeatedly while we danced. She may be able to _Sway a Hula_ like nobody's business, but when it came to any other dancing – forget it – she was a klutz!

"Oh, wow!" Bella's face lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw the cake.

The wedding cake was two round tiers – one atop the other – frosted with whipped cream and coated in coconut shavings. What appeared to be sugar glazed, red hibiscus decorated the crown of the cake.

"I gather you like it?" Mom said. She smiled almost as brightly as Bella did.

"Yes! What type of cake is it? Will you tell me, now?"

Mom pretended to consider, bringing her index finger to her chin and pressing her lips together musingly.

"Hmm."

"Esme!"

Mom giggled. "Oh, alright, you win – it's baked cheesecake."

"Cheesecake!"

Mom nodded enthusiastically.

"I loooove cheesecake."

"I know. I used some of the white sugar and flour the boys salvaged from the north camp – mixed it with soft goat's cheese, lime zest, eggs and cream, and _voilà_ – cheesecake!"

Dad handed me the vintage US navy, carving knife. Bella and I ceremonially cut into the lower tier of the cake to a round of applause. Rose took over after that, slicing generous wedges of the creamy white confection. The top tier was a smaller, lightweight sponge cake filled with tangy lime butter spread. We fed each other pieces of wedding cake – cheesecake for Bella, and sponge cake for me – and then it was nearly time to leave.

Rose and Alice escorted my new wife upstairs to change into something a little more appropriate for hiking through the jungle.

I settled for pulling a pair of deck shoes onto my feet.

I was a little disappointed not to be removing Bella's wedding gown myself, but I understood the necessity of not damaging the fabric. How sad that on her wedding day, the bride had to be concerned with preserving her dress – not so it could be worn one day by her daughter – but, so it could be recycled into something far more practical for everyday use.

While I waited impatiently for Bella to reappear, Jasper and Emmett handed me a small, wrapped parcel. I looked at them curiously.

Jasper half smiled. "A book to read from me."

Emmett lightly punched my upper arm. "A portable music player from me. The battery is fully charged. I snuck a mini-speaker over to the grotto earlier today. It's on the table."

My eyebrows rose into my hairline. "Um, guys, I'm going on my honeymoon. I think the music player will get plenty of use, but…er…Jazz, I don't think I'm gonna need the book…"

He winked at me. "Take it from me, little brother, there will be times your new wife is so exhausted, she'll sleep for hours. You're gonna appreciate the book, then."

I looked at my brother dubiously.

He elbowed our older brother. "Tell him, Em."

Emmett nodded in agreement, rocking on his feet. "Yeah, you're gonna need something to pass the time occasionally."

"What'd you take?" I asked Emmett curiously. I had no doubt that his choice of personal entertainment, was _not_ a book.

"Computer game."

I snorted. _Figures._

…

Bella came downstairs a few minutes later, dressed in a short white sundress, a cardigan sweater and a pair of white canvas deck shoes. Her hair had been brushed into a high pony tail that corkscrewed down her back in one thick swathe. Across her body, she wore the bag she received from Rose and Emmett for her birthday. It bulged slightly and I wondered idly what was in it.

She stopped before me, inclining her head curiously toward the parcel I held.

"What's that?"

"What's in yours?" I retorted, indicating the bag.

She shrugged evasively.

I grinned. "Ditto." I grasped her hand in mine. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes."

As we walked to the front door, surrounded by our family, Mom shoved a covered plate into Bella's hands. She shot Mom a questioning glance.

"It's just some wedding cake, for later."

"Thanks, Esme."

Bella hugged and kissed Mom, and then my Dad. As Mom was sending me off with red lipstick prints on both cheeks, I saw Bella embrace Alice. She whispered something in her ear, and Alice nodded, wiping a tear from her eyes.

And then, we were gone.

On our honeymoon.

…

As we reached the concealed entrance to the grotto, I stopped Bella.

"Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"You'll see. Now, close your eyes."

She huffed indulgently, but did as I asked. Parting the thick curtain of foliage, I led her carefully through the entryway, halting on the other side. The jungle closed in behind us, completely screening us from prying eyes.

"Keep them closed," I bade her.

She huffed again, and I smiled. She was so cute in her impatience.

"Hold this, baby," I said, handing her my parcel.

I bent down to pick her up, bridal style. She yelped, grappling to hold onto the parcel and the plate of cake, caught completely off guard.

"What are you doing!"

"Carrying you over the threshold."

She giggled. "But, we're not there yet. We still have to fight our way through the jungle obscuring the path."

I smirked proudly. "No, we don't. Open your eyes."

She gasped. "Oh, Edward, you cleared the pathway."

"Yes. Now, you can come here on your own, if you want to. I don't want you hacking away at the foliage with the machete."

She leaned up and kissed my jaw line.

"Well, what are you waiting for, lieutenant? Let's go!"

I laughed, striding down the cleared and even-surfaced pathway. We heard the sound of the waterfall cascading into the pool long before it came into view. As we entered the grotto garden, I stopped so Bella could appreciate her first view of the honeymoon hut we'd built.

"Oh," she breathed.

The wall panels were open to the balmy, late afternoon breeze, displaying the interior of the hut, and acting as an awning against the bright sun or possible rain. We could see the white shrouded bed in the front section of the large room. The living area of the hut lay just beyond, out of sight in the dim luminosity.

As I carried my wife up the two steps and inside, she looked at me with wonder, as if I'd personally hung the sun, the moon and the stars.

"Do you…do you like it?" Despite her apparent wonder, I was uncertain.

She nodded slowly, glancing around and taking note of the accoutrements in our home away from home.

She giggled.

"What?" I asked curiously.

She shook her head indicating I needn't worry. "It occurred to me that we've got a vacation home, now."

I laughed. "Yeah, I suppose we do. Would you like the two cent tour?"

She nodded, and I eased her onto her feet beside the bed.

She pushed the parcel and plate of cake toward me. I took them from her and she removed the bag from across her body, dropping it onto the bed. I followed suit with my parcel and it landed with a slight bounce beside her bag. Bella's discarded sweater settled over the top.

At least the improvised mattress had some flexibility in it. It was crucial that Bella didn't feel like she was sleeping on a cement slab.

Taking her hand in mine, I began the tour, showing her the location of the most important aspects of our temporary abode – the commode closet and the exterior shower stall.

We finished our tour in the tiki kitchen. While Bella opened cabinet doors and ran her hand across the bench top, I slipped the plate of wedding cake into the cooler. I was pleased to note that very little of the ice had melted.

Bella slid her arms around my bent waist, catching me by surprise. I felt her hips press up against mine, transferring her warm heat to the skin beneath my clothes.

She spoke playfully. "Where's my…_luggage_, Edward?"

I turned in her arms and she was smiling. Pulling her hips against my hardening manhood, I rubbed my cheek against hers, inhaling the heady fragrance of her hair into my nose.

"It's on the bench seat at the foot of the bed…but I don't think you'll need it," I teased, thrusting gently against her hard belly where our child grew.

It was the first time today that I'd really given him much thought and I felt immeasurably guilty for my neglect. I hadn't even had time for our father-son talk this morning, because Bella woke before I did. Leaning away, I slid my palm over the slight roundness, stroking my wife and my child lovingly.

"Do you think he knows his parents were married today?" I whispered.

She smiled. "I don't think he really cares," she said softly. "All that's important to him, is that he's wanted and loved."

I felt my chest bursting with renewed joy. "Yes, he _is_."

I stroked for a few more seconds, talking to the baby with my mind. I imagined he could _hear _me, responding in kind with flickering images of a dark and watery home. A sense of serenity spread through my veins and around my heart.

I shivered as the fleeting feeling waned. How…_weird._

I was distracted as Bella slid her open palms down my back to settle over my butt. She squeezed, and then retraced her movements to slide her hands beneath the band of my white pants. The soft touch of her warm hands against the sensitive skin of my ass made my dick jolt wantonly.

I grunted before my lips crashed down upon hers.

Tightening my hands gently under her ribs, I lifted her and she wrapped her legs around my waist. The skirt of her dress was bunched between us allowing her delta to rub against my groin. Stalking over to the bed, I had one knee on the mattress as I prepared to lower us down, when she dragged her mouth from mine.

She gasped. "I really _do_ need my bag."

I groaned in frustration. "_Right now!_"

Her face glowed with amusement. "Yes. You won't be sorry, I promise."

I cocked my head curiously. Perhaps I was about to find out what was in the bag. Resigning myself to another few moments of delay, I stood and lowered her to the floor. When she was steady on her feet, I leaned over and snagged her bag, handing it to her.

"Don't be long," I bade her, a hint of aggravation leaching into my tone.

She smiled knowingly. "I won't. Take a load off," she said, gesturing to the bed. "I'll be right back."

While Bella disappeared into the tiny commode closet, I moved our things off the bed and folded the top sheet and blanket down. I could hear her mumbling in the tiny room as she struggled with her clothes. My curiosity was peaked even more than it was before. Toeing off my deck shoes, I tip-toed (_Yes – I fricking tip-toed!_) across the mat covered floor and leaned my ear against the thin wall.

"…how can something so brief, be so _freaking_ complicated to get on," I heard her grumble under her breath.

I grinned, knowing that whatever tortuous lingerie my sisters-in-law had given her, I was gonna like it.

A lot.

A flash of white caught my attention through a crack lower down in the woven wall panel at about waist height. I grinned wider as a simply _fantastic _idea formed in the primordial branch of my brain.

I really couldn't believe I was about to do this. Emmett would be so proud of me. I scoffed inwardly – yeah, like that was an acceptable reason for spying like a peeping Tom.

I shrugged. _What the hell_ – she was my wife – I'd seen it all before, and I was a red-blooded American male.

Crouching over, I brought my face close to the screen and pushed my eye up to the crack. Bella was wearing something white, silky, tight and brief – very brief.

My eager dick stood at immediate attention and I stroked him through my white pants, which were tightening with every passing second. My grin widened, as I imagined with immense pleasure how much I would enjoy removing the frothy underwear from her luscious body.

"Hmmm." I moaned under my breath.

Bella's form twisted as her hands pulled at long streams of ribbons, crisscrossing up the front of the garment. Her arms lifted up and out to the side to tie a bow under her breasts, and that's when it happened.

I figured it was fair punishment.

Bella's elbow connected with the wall panel _right_ where my eye was pressed up to the crack. I had just enough presence of mind to move infinitesimally before her elbow banged up against the wall panel, cracking me unerringly right between the eyes.

_Fuuuuck!_

I staggered back, pressing the heel of my hand to my aching skull and nose.

_Shit! Fuck!_

Stumbling across the floor toward the bed, I collapsed onto it, as the ringing in my ears threatened to overcome me. How could someone so small, crack me hard enough to bring me to my knees?

"Are you okay out there," Bella called. "I'll only be another minute."

I groaned. "Mmm. Y…yeah, Bella. I'm fine."

I checked my nose for blood or breaks. _Ouch!_

"Take your time," I begged. My voice twanged with the nasal sounds of injury.

_Fuuuuck!_

Lurching off the bed, I made my way to the tiki kitchen and the cooler for some ice. Scooping out three cubes, I wrapped them in a clean dish towel, and brought the package to my face.

The cold compress offered immediate, welcome relief. I made my way back to the bed, sitting on the edge in sudden exhaustion.

_How the hell was I gonna explain this?_

I didn't have any time to think of a reasonable explanation, because Bella came out of the commode closet. She leaned up against the corner of the wall in a seductive pose clad in a skin-tight bustier, and barely there panties under a garter belt holding up silky white thigh high hosiery. Her hair had been brushed out and it streamed down her back to her waist.

She looked…gorgeous.

My shoulders drooped in misery. Under any other circumstances, I would have found the sight of her dressed as she was, alluring, but the pain in my face was too debilitating to care. I felt my nose swelling to twice its normal size.

_You're such a stupid prick. So much for your fantastic idea!_

I could see Bella looking at me uncertainly from across the room. She began to fidget, thinking I didn't like the way she was dressed.

I lowered the cold compress giving Bella her first look at what I thought was probably a broken nose.

"You look beautiful, baby." I sounded like Alvin the chipmunk after sucking down a helium filled balloon.

"Oh, My God, Edward! What happened?"

She ran across the room, her breasts bouncing within the brief, balcony cups of the bustier.

I raised the icepack to my face again, peeking at her through swelling eyes. She sat on the bed beside me, turning her body toward me. Reaching up she took hold of my hand.

"Let me see," she ordered firmly.

I reluctantly pulled my hand away, revealing the injury that was my own damned fault!

She gently probed around my nose, making we wince. The pain travelled through my sinuses, settling into an ache at the hinge of my jaws.

She sighed and pulled away, bringing my hand holding the icepack back to my face.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

I shook my head.

She huffed impatiently. "Edward, I was in the bathroom for not more than ten minutes. I don't see any broken furniture, so you didn't fall and I didn't hear anything breaking…so what happened?"

I shrugged and pouted sullenly.

"Right now, Edward Cullen! Tell me, right now!" she yelled.

She reared to her feet and stood in front of me with her hands on her hips. She was glorious in her beauty and magnificent in her fury. I looked up at her awestruck, as another, lower appendage began to swell.

_Thank you, God. Perhaps my honeymoon wouldn't be a total bust after all._

"I'm waiting, Edward."

My shoulders drooped. Maybe she'd see the funny side of it.

"Okay, I'll tell you," I twanged, "but you have to promise not to be mad."

Her mouth thinned, but she inclined her head in a curt nod.

"Um, I was…sort of loitering around the bathroom, and…um I heard you mumbling, so I was listening to you."

Her eyebrows rose into her long fringe and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Go on."

"Um, my eye caught a sliver of white through the woven screen, and…um I decided to…watch." I gulped.

"You were spying on me?" she asked shrilly.

I nodded, ashamed.

She frowned, clearly bewildered. "Do you do that a lot?"

I shook my head rapidly. Big mistake. It hurt like a son of a bitch.

"Never!" I promised her.

She huffed. "Okay, then what happened?"

I swallowed. "You were tying the ribbons on your underwear," I gestured toward the bustier, "and your…elbow knocked against the wall…"

Her lips parted as she suddenly realized what had happened. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth and muffle her laughter. I heard the deep chuckle building in her chest, and her shoulders shook with amusement as she burst into full-on laughter at my expense.

I sulked on the edge of the bed, while Bella laughed herself into an attack of hiccoughs. She eventually wound down, wiping her tears of mirth with her fingers, and sat down beside me.

"Oh, Edward, you really know how to give a girl the honeymoon of her dreams," she cracked.

I couldn't help it. I glared at her, unfair though it was.

She wiped the smile from her face, becoming businesslike.

"I'm pretty certain your nose is broken. I'm going to get Carlisle."

She stood up from the bed, but my hand reached out to stay her.

"Can't you do it?" I whined.

She shook her head. "No. If we were out in the field, I'd take care of it as best I could, but we're less than 20 minutes walk from home and I don't have any of the things I need here. If I leave now, I'll get there and back before it gets completely dark."

I pouted. I know I was acting childishly, but I couldn't stop myself.

"You can come with me if you want?" she offered, "and we can come back here tomorrow. It will probably be easier for Carlisle to treat you at home…"

I shook my head. I didn't want to face my brothers, especially Emmett. Facing my father was bad enough.

I waved her on. "Go on, baby. I'll be fine."

She stripped off the garter belt and hosiery, and slipped her sundress over the bustier. The undergarment gave her body definition beneath the thin cotton.

"Get into bed, Edward," she told me, as she slipped on her shoes. She bent over with difficulty to tie her laces.

"Oomph. I don't think this thing was made for everyday wear," she commented, referring to the constricting lingerie.

Her face was flushed with exertion when she stood up. She strode into the bathroom and returned with her bag, pulling out a hair tie to pull her hair back and off her face. While she was doing that, I got into bed.

"Do you need more ice?"

I shook my head against the pillows I was propped against on the bed.

Bella leaned down, pulling my hand away from my face.

"How bad is it?

Her eyes widened. "Pretty bad." She leaned in and gently bestowed a kiss on my sulky mouth. "I'll be back soon."

"'Kay."

And then she was gone.

…

Bella's POV

As I walked rapidly along the pathway home, I couldn't help but laugh again at Edward's expense.

"He's spending way too much time with Emmett," I said, out loud to myself.

I thought I should probably be mad at him for spying on me while I was in the bathroom, but I wasn't. If it had been anyone else, except Edward, I would be creeped out. It's not the first time he's watched me, but usually, it was with my permission – like the time in the shower on Thanksgiving.

I know Alice and Rosalie liked to put on titillating shows for their husbands, because they'd told me they did, but I wondered whether their husbands had ever spied on them. I was pretty certain Emmett _would_ if the opportunity presented itself, because he was…well…Emmett. But, Jasper – hmm – I'm not so sure about him.

When it came right down to it, I wasn't mad at Edward at all…well, not for spying, anyway. I was a bit pissed about the broken nose since this was our wedding night, but, oh, well, there was still tomorrow.

I was actually kinda…_thrilled_…yes, that's the word…_thrilled _that Edward found me sexy enough that he _wanted_ to spy on me getting changed, especially now that I was pregnant. I knew he loved my body, because he told me he did – constantly, but for him to go to such a degree for a bit of titillation made me all shivery inside.

I giggled.

My feminist side said I should stand up and roar my outrage, but get real. He was my husband, and the father of my child. And before that, we'd been lovers for months, living together. It wasn't like I hadn't taken advantage of any opportunity to ogle his body when he didn't know I was looking.

I hadn't asked his permission, either.

All of those times he worked in the yard or on the house with his shirt off, his muscles rippling under bronze skin, shimmering with perspiration.

"Hmmm. Yum."

Without realizing it, I had reached the compound. The lights were on in the living room and in Carlisle's office. As I stepped quietly up the front stairs, I wondered whether I could sneak inside, to his office without alerting the entire household.

As I opened the door and crept through the foyer, I didn't factor in Larry.

"Miss Bella!" he shouted in surprise. I cringed. "What you doing back here, and where is Mr Red?"

I waved my hands at him in a shushing motion. "Shsssh, Larry," I hissed. "Edward's at the grotto. I need to see Carlisle."

I heard the office door open. "I'm here, Bella," Carlisle said quietly. "Larry, why don't you watch the rest of your television program while I see what Bella needs."

"'Kay, Dr Pops." He looked at me uncertainly. "You sure Mr Red's, okay?"

I grimaced involuntarily, gesturing uncertainly with my hands.

Carlisle sighed and retreated into his office for his bag. "What did he do?" he called back. I heard him tossing in supplies, and then the locks clicked closed.

"Um, he broke his nose," I whispered loudly.

I heard the locks click open, and Carlisle threw more supplies into his bag, probably items more suitable for treating a broken nose.

"How'd he do that, Miss Bella?" Larry asked artlessly.

Carlisle quirked a brow of similar inquiry as he appeared in the doorway.

I shrugged evasively.

"Any sign of concussion?" Carlisle asked.

"I didn't see any."

"Where is the primary injury site."

I fidgeted. "Um, right between the eyes," I mumbled.

His eyes closed and he sighed deeply. "I don't want to know, do I, Bella?"

I shook my head and bit my lip. "No."

"I do!" piped up Larry.

I ignored him.

"Wait here, while I tell Esme where I'm going."

My stomach lurched worriedly. "Um, Carlisle?"

He turned around.

"Could you not tell anyone the reason _why_ you're making a house call?"

He rolled his eyes in agreement and disappeared upstairs. Larry followed him. They were both back a few minutes later wearing sturdy shoes and a jacket. Larry had a towel wrapped around his neck.

My eyes widened. Larry wasn't coming with us, was he? I stared at Carlisle. Was he? And why was he bringing a towel?

"I comin' too, Miss Bella. Dr Pops needs me for carr-in' his doctor bag."

Carlisle shrugged.

"Come on," he said, as he guided me out the door.

…

Edward's POV

My head was thumping as I waited for Bella to come back with Dad. The sun was dropping lower in the sky and I struggled to stay awake.

_Jesus Christ, I hope I don't have a concussion! _

As it was, I'd never live this down. When we went home in three days time, I would be sporting a swollen, bruised nose and two black eyes. My brothers were going to want to know what happened. They were tenacious bastards. They'd find out…eventually.

I dozed on the bed for awhile, rousing when I swore I heard Larry's distinctive voice with its Aussie accent.

_Oh, Christ, no!_

"It's just through here," said Bella from the hidden pathway. Leaning up on my forearm, I saw the arc of a flashlight lighting their way around the pool.

I wasn't imagining things; Larry was with them. I groaned, falling back against the pillows.

"This place is really wonderful," Dad remarked.

_That's right. I forgot he'd never been here._

"Yeah, it is," agreed Bella. "Especially now the hut is here. I never expected to need a medical kit on my honeymoon, though."

She laughed, and Dad chuckled with her.

Larry snorted.

I scowled, and immediately regretted it when pain lanced through my nose, eyes and forehead. _Oh, fuck it. Let's be honest – my entire fricking face!_ I closed my eyes. I'd fight an army for a painkiller right now.

I heard them enter the hut and walk to the bed. When I opened my eyes, the three of them were staring at me.

"That's quite the shiner, Edward," drawled Dad. "What's this…the third one, now?"

"Fourth," I corrected him.

Bella looked at me and then Dad with surprise. "He's done this before?"

"Yes. When he was 12, 17 and 23. After the last time, I sent him to a plastic surgeon friend of mine for a rhinoplasty."

Larry's face said, huh.

"A nose job, Larry," I explained.

"Ohhh!" he replied in understanding.

Bella ignored me and spoke with my father. "Do you think he's ruined all the good work? I never noticed it before."

"Yes, it was very good, and no, I don't think it's too bad. The nose isn't crooked, but there is quite a bit of swelling across the bridge."

Dad lowered his bag to the bench seat and took out a penlight. "Lean your head back, Edward." I knew the drill.

Look up my nose for any protruding bone fragments or excessive bleeding.

Check for concussion, then strap the nose.

Swallow two painkillers and sleep for 12 hours.

Wedding night over!

"Okay, you're not showing any signs of concussion and the bridge of your nose is just fractured," Dad diagnosed.

He taped my nose and handed me a strip of Extra Strength Tylenol that was half empty. Bella went into the kitchen for a glass of water.

"Take two of these now and then two more in six hours. This is the last of our painkillers, Edward," Dad warned. "After these two doses, only take them if you really need pain relief."

"Okay, Dad. I'm sorry."

He sighed. "I know, son."

Bella came back and I swallowed two of the tablets, handing the glass back to her so I could lie down again. Dad repeated his medication instructions for Bella's benefit.

"If there is excessive bleeding or weeping of fluid from the nostrils, I want you to come straight home, or come and get me."

Bella nodded emphatically. Water sloshed out of the glass and over the floor.

"We will."

Dad packed up his bag and turned to leave. "Where's Larry?"

I groaned. "Check the waterfall."

"What!" Bella yelled.

_Oh, crap!_

"Yeah, he was playing in it earlier today. Don't worry," I hastened to explain when her face flushed fiery red, "he knows not to go inside the cave."

She stalked to the door of the hut, placed two fingers between her lips and whistled sharply.

"Larry!"

"Yeah, Miss Bella?" came his water garbled voice.

"Get over here. It's time to go." She stood by the door with her arms crossed over her chest, tapping her foot.

He came dripping to the door and scooped a towel off the bottom step to dry himself off. He shivered in the cooler evening air.

"Look, I wore my swim trunks this time, Mr Red."

_Well, thank God for something._

"That's good, Larry. Get dressed," I said drowsily. The Tylenol was beginning to work. "You look after Dad walking home in the dark, and I'll see you in three days."

"'Kay," he said. He pulled his t-shirt on and slipped his feet into his shoes, crouching down to tie the laces.

"Night, Mr Red."

"G…nigh...t," I slurred and then I was out cold.

…

When I woke in the morning, my headache had reduced to a dull thud and my mouth felt like it was full of cotton wool. For the first time in five months, I _really_ wanted a cup of coffee. I was lying on my side in the bed with Bella snuggled up behind me.

I groaned as I rolled onto my back. Bella was awake and watching me. She lifted her hand and gently stroked my forehead and under my eyes. Her touch felt so good against my tender face.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi. How do you feel?"

"Better. Sore, but better."

She leaned over and gently kissed my parched lips. I lifted my hand to stroke the back of her head, threading my fingers through her silky hair.

I noticed with disappointment that she'd changed out of the bustier and tiny panties, replacing them with a poly cotton, sleeveless, short nightgown to sleep in.

"I'm sorry, baby."

She chuckled. "I know you are. Don't worry about it. One day, we're gonna think back on our wedding night and laugh about it."

"You're not mad at me?"

"For what?"

"Um…spying on you in the bathroom. That _is_ how I got us into this predicament."

She shrugged and winked at me. "Nah. It's really kind of sweet."

My eyebrows rose. "A man spying on you in the bathroom is sweet?"

She shook her head. "No, Edward. _You_ spying on me in the bathroom is kinda sweet."

I breathed a sigh of relief. _I was one lucky bastard._

"Do you want a hot shower, Edward? I should have enough water boiled, and it might make you feel better."

I looked at her in surprise. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since dawn. It's nearly 10 now."

Wow, I'd slept far longer than I thought I would.

"Yeah, a shower would be nice. Will you join me?"

She smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."

She bounded out of the bed and went outside to the fire pit. Using an oven mitt to protect her hands, she picked a large pot full of hot water out of the fire where it hung off a tripod. I followed a little more slowly and took the pot from her as she came through the house. As I poured it into the large plastic reservoir, I felt the heat rising and I realized she'd been heating and carrying water for hours.

That pissed me off. Looking after her was my job.

She came outside with our towels over her shoulders, carrying the bag of toiletries. Taking my hand, she silently led me down the stone steps to a lower level of the grotto garden where the shower stall was positioned. Reaching in, I opened the tap. The water was slow to appear since it worked on a gravity feed, but eventually it trickled through, the flow increasing as the hose connecting it to the reservoir filled up.

Bella stripped off her nightgown, stepping in.

"Don't pout, Edward. I can fill and carry a pot of water," she chided. "Come on in," she invited as the warm water sluiced over her hair and body.

It flowed in rivulets across her breasts, dripping off her nipples, around her navel and through the cropped hair at the apex of her thighs. Despite my persistent headache, I felt my body reacting to the sight of Bella naked in the shower.

She ran her hands up and over her stomach, curving around her breasts and then stroking along her neck and into her hair. As she raised her arms, her pert, full breasts rose higher on her chest, the nipples pointing straight at me.

I drooled.

My manhood came to life and I stripped off the white, button down shirt I still wore from when we got married. Unbuttoning and unzipping my white pants, they fell around my feet and I pushed my white boxers after them. Stepping out, my feet walked of their own accord toward my wife and nirvana.

Dropping to my knees in front of her, my lips trailed across her stomach. Her hands dropped into my hair, her agile fingers massaging my scalp – hmmm – under the warm water.

"Why don't you talk to our son, Edward," she said softly.

I looked up at her, startled. She winked at me. She knew! She'd probably always known. I couldn't put anything over her.

"Go on," she instructed, as she reached for a bottle of shampoo.

Her hands stroked the fragrant soap through my hair, massaging it into a thick lather. With every press of her fingertips against my skull, my headache dissipated. She really did have magic fingers. As I felt myself becoming human again, I whispered nonsense to her stomach.

I heard her laugh as she listened, and then she was rinsing the soap from my hair. I closed my eyes and rested my cheek – rough with a full days beard growth – against the soft skin of her stomach.

I think I purred.

"Hand me the soap," I said throatily.

Accepting the bar of goat's milk and cucumber soap, I rubbed it between my hands until I had a thick lather. Beginning at her knees, I ran my hands up her legs, along her inner thighs, skimming her womanhood with a butterfly's touch – she jerked – passing over her hip bones and around to her firm buttocks, squeezing and massaging gently.

I felt her fingers slide into my hair again as she rubbed conditioner through the shortened locks. Her fingers pressed all over my scalp. With each press of her fingers, mine repeated the motion against her butt. Mindful of my broken nose, I pressed my lips against her delta and let my tongue wiggle its away between her moistening folds.

I listened to her breaths coming in pants as her arousal built. I could taste and smell her desire mixed with the fragrance of cucumber. It was fresh and welcoming, and at least I knew my olfactory senses were still working.

She moaned. "Oh, Edward."

Her hands tightened briefly on my head and then they released as she leaned back against the shower wall. Getting to my feet, I kissed my way up her torso, paying particular attention to her breasts – gently sucking and licking at the tight nipples.

She moaned again, and her hands reached around to hold my head against her.

"Careful of my nose, baby," I murmured.

"Yes, yes," she panted.

Turning my head to the side, my lips trailed along her neck. I sucked her flesh into my mouth, making a vacuum and suckling strongly. Her hands stroked along my back under the spray of warm water. I held her with one arm around her waist, holding her hips against mine. The other hand trailed between her legs to slide between her folds.

She was wet, so wet.

"Ahhh," she moaned.

I felt her small hand slide between us to grasp my swollen, eager dick. She gently squeezed the head between her fingers, collecting the precum with her thumb, and then stroked along my length, twisting, squeezing and massaging with each pass of her palm.

I grunted, releasing the skin of her neck with a pop of my lips. I noticed with satisfaction, the pink blemish that would become a bruise – I'd marked her as mine.

I noticed the stream of water was decreasing to a light spray.

"We're about to run out of water," I husked.

She moaned, thrashing her head against the bamboo shower wall. "Take me to bed, Edward," my bride implored me.

Gladly.

Flicking the tap off, I lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around my waist, crossing her ankles securely above my butt. I pushed my dick down so it was nestled between her legs against her wet heat.

"Grab the towels," I murmured as we passed by.

With every movement of my legs as I climbed the rear steps to the hut, my aching dick slid against Bella's folds and swollen clitoris.

She moaned and shivered.

I grunted and groaned at the delicious sensation dancing along the tight, hot skin.

When I reached the bed, I placed one knee on the mattress and eased her down. This was the point last night where she stopped me to go and dress in her wedding night finery.

Her lips parted.

I shook my head. "Don't even say it," I admonished her.

She giggled.

Releasing her body, I quickly ran the towel over her skin and wrapped her dripping wet hair in the towel like a turban. She scooted backwards up the bed as I dragged my own towel over my skin and gave my hair a cursory drying. Throwing the towel to the side, I crawled onto the bed and up between her parted thighs, which had opened in welcome.

I gave full rein to my desires and kissed her, sliding my tongue into the damp recesses of her mouth and angling my nose safely to the side. I wasn't taking any chances. Nothing else would stop me from consummating our marriage.

I pushed her knees back further and she brought her legs up and around to clamp me tightly to her. As I slid my hands under her hips to lift her to me, she pulled her swollen lips from mine.

"Now, Edward, please. Make love to me…"

"Yes, my darling, now."

I slid into her to the hilt and her muscles clenched around me tightly, pulsing with her pleasure.

"Aghhh!" we cried out in unison.

"So good, so good," I chanted, as I moved slowly in and out of her.

With each thrust and parry of my hips, her inner core clamped down on me, determined to keep me prisoner until her body reached its pleasurable zenith.

"Fondle your breasts," I gasped, and she immediately obeyed me.

Watching her was so _fucking _hot. I clenched my teeth, as I felt the release of her scorching juices flowing over my dick.

"Soon, come soon," I entreated.

Her face contorted into a grimace of acute pleasure as she plucked at her nipples in tandem with my thrusts. I was gonna come. I wanted to hold it off, but there was too much pleasure. Reaching down with my hand between us, I slid two fingers between her slick folds and sought out her tiny pearl, sliding a calloused tip rapidly against the sensitive nerve endings.

"Agghhh," she screamed.

It was the first time, we'd really been able to vocalize our pleasure in each other. We always were conscious of being quiet at home. Not this time.

"That's it, baby," I grunted. "Take all of me. Give me all of you."

Her head thrashed against the pillow, loosening the towel from her hair. It flopped over her face and I ripped it away, so I could look at her when she came.

"Oh, God! Oh, God!" she gasped.

I wanted to tell her to come for me, but the last time I did that, she dried up and told me the performance pressure was too much for her. So, I kept thrusting and stroking her clitoris, lightening the pressure to a gentle but persistent tapping, as she hurtled towards orgasm.

Tap, tap, tap.

Tap, tap, tap.

As I looked down her body, I saw her stomach muscles clenching and I knew she was close.

So close.

And then, she was there, and so was I.

Heaven.

The event was marked by the screeching of roosting parrots as we scared them out of the trees.

I roared with pleasure as she screamed out her released. Her fluids gushed over me, as mine spurted deep inside her. We rocked against each other as we rode out the tremendous orgasm. I wiped tears of release from my beloved's face as tremors racked her body for a full five minutes, before she stilled. Rolling to the side, I disengaged and brought her with me to nestle within my arms. The last thing I remember, is dragging the sheet and blankets over us so she wouldn't get cold as her body cooled.

We slept in sated bliss.

…

The next two days and nights of our honeymoon were wonderful.

We made love frequently – once so frequently, that my bride did indeed fall into an exhausted sleep. I spent my time reading the book I received from Jasper (it was Huckleberry Finn) as I kept careful watch over the love of my life.

We basked naked in the sun, swam in the pool and talked for hours about everything and nothing. We made love in the shower, on the bed, on the floor, in the pool, and sitting on the ledge (that wasn't as easy as it sounds and we ended up falling in).

We read in companionable silence as we snuggled together on the sofa or in the bed (Bella brought her own book – that's what was in her bag), and we slow danced to the easy listening music Emmett supplied me on his iPod.

We fed each other wedding cake and succulent morsels of fruit, usually in bed, but that ended when we dripped mango juice all over the sheets, and Bella had to wash them. As it was our only set of linens, we had to wait for them to dry in the sun before we could return to bed.

We ate the remainder of our meals at the tiny bistro set, on the sofa or outside on the deck under the awning. Our meals consisted of mainly fruit, vegetables and salad ingredients with a bit of semi-hard goat's cheese, some cooked smoked ham, and bread spread with rich butter.

On the morning of our third day, we were cuddling on the sofa eating breakfast off a tray.

Bella sighed. "I think I want to stay here with you forever."

I kissed her head. "We can stay a few more days, if you like? I'll have to go back to the compound for more supplies, but we can stay if you want to."

She leaned her head back and reached up to kiss me, cupping my face with her hand. Her nails scratched against my three day scruff as she considered my suggestion.

"You need to shave."

"Hmm, I can do that when I go home."

Her middle finger traced the dark bruises under my eyes and along the sides of my nose. Her touch was feather light.

"You need to have Carlisle look at your nose."

"I can do that when I go home, as well."

She sighed again. "I really want to check on Esme…and Alice."

I opened my mouth to tell her I would get a full report for her, but her finger came to rest against my lips.

"We'll come back again, soon, but something is telling me that we need to go home. Today, as planned," she said.

I frowned. "Are you worried about something?"

She grimaced and shook her head. "I don't know what it is, Edward, I just feel strongly that we need to go home."

"Alright, my love," I conceded. "When do you want to leave?"

"Soon."

She laid her head against my chest and shivered imperceptibly. I don't think she realized I could feel it, but I was worried. Something was bothering her and I didn't know what it was.

…

At lunchtime, I closed up the hut while Bella folded the soiled sheets, towels and other linens into the empty cooler to take back with us. She tossed the remaining fruit and vegetables into the jungle where they'd decompose or be eaten by foraging animals. Our backpacks were packed and we were dressed in shorts, t-shirts and deck shoes, ready for the walk home. With the cooler to carry between us, it would take about half an hour to complete the journey.

"Ready?" I asked, as I entered the hut.

"Yep."

I helped her with her pack and slipped my own over my shoulders, then hefted the cooler into my arms. I would carry it alone until we left the hidden entrance to the grotto. Bella pulled the door shut behind us and we gazed longingly at the little bit of paradise we'd enjoyed for the past two days. The only blight had been my broken nose. I think my asinine actions on our wedding night would be remembered in infamy as the stupidest thing a Cullen male had ever done.

…

As we walked home, I was lost in thought. Bella and I had discussed names for the baby these last days. We only considered boys names, not girls. We were both certain that we were having a boy.

Bella liked Charles after her father and I liked Alexander after my father. It was his middle name. Bella also insisted on a Hawaiian name and I readily agreed. It was important to her that her culture and lineage be passed down to our children. Our son would be the next hereditary prince, after all.

"Edward!"

I startled, turning my head to Bella. "Sorry, love. What is it?"

"What's that noise? Listen."

THWACK. THWACK. THWACK.

I gasped, dropping the cooler and my backpack to look up frantically. Bella only just darted out of the way before the cooler landed on her foot.

"Sorry, babe," I said distractedly.

THWACK. THWACK. THWACK.

Holding my arms above my head to shade my eyes in the noon-day sun, I turned hurriedly, trying to track the direction of the sound.

THWACK. THWACK. THWACK.

There! Heading south from a northerly direction. I grabbed Bella's hand.

"Come on!" I yelled joyfully. "It's a helicopter!"

The sound was deafening as the helicopter passed overhead at a low altitude. It was large with twin engines. It was a Sikorsky utility transport helicopter decked out in camouflage.

"Are we being rescued?" Bella screamed over the raucous roar.

I grinned. "Probably. Come on!"

We ran the rest of the way home, but Bella tired before we reached the compound. She stumbled a few times, and I picked her up to throw her onto my back where she clung to me like a baby chimp clings to its mother.

"Hold on tight," I said, grinning over my shoulder.

She nodded.

When we ran into the compound, our family was milling around the yard, talking excitedly. Alice was jumping up and down, and even Mom and Rose (normally less ebullient) looked ecstatic to _finally_ be going home.

I heard the sound of the rotor blades shutting down where the chopper had landed on the beach.

I let Bella down off my back and she hurried to Mom and her friends chattering excitedly. I looked around for Dad, Emmett and Jasper. They weren't here.

"Larry, where are the others?" I said curtly.

"Gone to the beach to meet the helichopter, Mr Red. Dr Pops told me to stay here and guard the women."

Shit!

Although I wanted to believe that we were being rescued, I wanted to greet our visitors with caution, and fully armed.

"Stay here," I told Larry and the women. "I'll be right back."

I raced into the house and into the bedroom I shared with Bella. Flinging open the lid to my chest, I pulled the Glock from beneath my clothes and checked the ammo clip reflexively. It was full, as I knew it would be.

I bounded down the stairs and out of the house, just as Dad, Emmett and Jasper were marched into camp. Behind them were five people – four men and one woman, a small blonde that looked familiar to me. One of the men looked familiar, as well, but I couldn't put my finger on where I'd seen him before.

Three of the men carried guns, the same make and model as the automatic weapons carried by Jimmy, Vivi and Larry.

My heart plummeted in my chest. We weren't being rescued. What we'd been afraid of was happening. Jimmy's boss had come looking for him…and the gold.

Mom, Rose and Alice gasped as they watched their husbands being herded like animals. They brought their hands to their mouths in horror as one of the armed men pointed his gun at my father.

"Stop over there," the familiar looking man said. He waved his gun in our general direction.

They did as they were told, moving cautiously so as not to spook the men with the guns. A older man stepped forward. He was tall, slender and dark with swarthy skin, shaggy hair and a scruffy beard.

He smiled benignly.

"My name is Arthur Volturi. But, you can call me Aro."

I gasped. Volturi!

He pulled off his black leather gloves, one finger at a time.

"I've come for my employee…and the gold."

He whacked the gloves against his thigh.

"Where is it?"

He smiled again. A spark of evil glinted in his eye.

I noticed he didn't ask where Jimmy was. It said a lot about where his priorities laid.

We were royally fucked this time.

…

A/N: This chapter just about killed me at nearly 19,000 words. It is my Christmas gift to you all. Your reviews for my hard work, whether good, bad or indifferent, will be gratefully received and appreciated.

Lots of photos for the chapter are on my blog and the link is jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com. Also on my blog is a link to Edward and Bella's marriage certificate; an MP3 of Debussy's _Clair de Lune_; a YouTube clip of Elvis Presley singing the _Hawaiian Wedding Song_, and an MP3 of _Just this Moment_.

I don't normally like to include song lyrics into a story text, but I thought it would be a romantic touch this one time. Lyrics for the Hawaiian Wedding Song were written by Charles King, Al Hoffman and Dick Manning.

**Zoloft:** The information about the use of antidepressants during pregnancy came from the Mayo Clinic website. If you take antidepressants or anxiety medication and are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, please speak to your doctor and do not place any reliance on what is said in this story.

**Tylenol** (acetaminophen) is known as paracetamol (Panadol or other trademark names) in some countries.

**Ratatouille** (rat-a-too-ee) is a Mediterranean casserole of sorts made with vegetables such as onion, whole garlic cloves, bell pepper (capsicum) aubergine (eggplant), green summer squash (courgette or zucchini), ripe tomatoes, and lots of shredded fresh basil. I also add butternut squash (pumpkin), green beans, a little red chili, and kalamata olives to mine. Bella made my version sans the kalamata olives.

**Maile **(MY-le) is a flowering plant that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The green foliage is frequently used to make lei's.

_**Voilà**_ (vwaˈla) is French meaning to suggest an appearance as if by magic.


	40. Chapter 40 - The Vulture has Landed

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thank you to EsmeCullen47 for her editing skills and pre-reading, especially since she's been laid up with the flu this past week. Get well soon.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year. I enjoyed my visit with my mother in Melbourne. I caught up with my elder sister and my adult niece who is seven months pregnant with her first child – a boy, whose name will be Anthony – she's due on Valentines Day. I also spent a few hours with my adult nephew, whom Larry is loosely based on. He's a wonderful young man, very funny with a dry sense of humor – he makes everyone laugh. He is obsessed with computers and he loves the Kindle Fire I gave him for his 21st birthday. He reads Fanfic Anime on it obsessively.

Have a great 2013.

…

Chapter 40 – The Vulture has Landed

In seconds, I weighed the probability of fighting the armed gunmen, and winning.

The odds weren't great. Our chances were slim at best and fatal at worst.

I inconspicuously edged closer to the garden bed by the house steps and dropped the Glock 17 into the foliage. I was good, but I didn't have a chance in hell of defeating three armed assassins, and I didn't want to risk my life or any of my family's lives if I was caught carrying a weapon.

I knew where it was if I needed it. If by some possibility we survived this encounter unharmed, the success of any future encounters might well rest on having our entire cache of weapons at our disposal.

I stepped forward slowly with my hands held aloft in a non-threatening movement. I stopped in front of my wife protectively. I noted Dad and my brothers doing the same thing. Larry stood between me and my father.

"Aro Volturi? Is that Volturi of _Volturi Yacht Outfitters_ in Honolulu?" I asked softly. I decided to ignore Aro's initial demand of where the gold was.

He inclined his head, waving his gloves around flamboyantly.

"I have many business endeavors, Lieutenant. _Volturi Yacht Outfitters_ is but one of them, albeit a lucrative one."

Well, he knew who _I_ was anyway. I wondered what else he knew.

My eyes narrowed. "How did you know we were here…on this island?"

His smile was oily. "I have my ways of finding many things and many people, Lieutenant. But, alas, for you and…your family," he swept his arm out to encompass all of us, "I was not _looking_ for you."

Did that mean he was going to leave us unmolested?

Aro stepped forward again. "Now, as I have answered your questions – quite magnanimously, I might add – I believe it is only fair that you answer mine. Shall we retire inside your…unique home for some refreshments, hmm?"

It wasn't a request. Dad glanced at me, and I nodded imperceptibly.

"You are welcome to quench your thirst, Aro," offered Dad politely, "and we will answer any questions you might have…provided we know the answers."

"Ah, _Dottor_ Cullen, how _simply wonderful_ it is to finally meet you." Aro swept up to Dad with his hand held out. A look of astonishment crossed Dad's face, but ever polite and correct, he shook the hand of our nemesis.

"Have we met, before, Aro?" Dad asked in confusion, "I don't recall…"

"Ah, alas, no, _Dottor_ Cullen, we have never met, however, it is by your gifted hands that my precious wife Sally remains by my side today."

"I operated on her?" Dad asked.

Aro nodded. "Yes, a decade ago. I was…absent at the time," he said vaguely, "but my Sulpicia required urgent and delicate surgery that only you were qualified to perform."

Dad pasted an expression of false recognition on his face. "Ah. And, how is Mrs Volturi?"

"She is doing wonderfully, _Dottor_, thank you for asking." Aro sighed dramatically. "How _nice_ it is to happen upon such a coincidence. For us to meet like this…out here, in the middle of nowhere…well, it's simply providential." Aro laughed ironically.

"Hmm," Dad intoned noncommittally, nodding his head in agreement.

What else was he gonna do.

"Esme," Dad said calmly over his shoulder. "Why don't you take the girls inside and prepare some refreshments for our…guests."

Mom swallowed nervously, staring at Dad with wide, frightened eyes. He turned to the side, kissed her forehead and pushed her gently toward the steps. I inclined my head at Bella to follow her, squeezing her hand reassuringly. I sensed rather than saw my brothers react similarly with their own wives.

Dad turned to address Aro when Mom, Bella, Rose and Alice had moved toward the house without being stopped by Aro or his goons.

"I'm sorry, Aro, but we can't offer you any coffee," said Dad. "We have not had any for many months. But, we do have herbal tea, and my wife makes a lovely moist fruit cake."

Aro waved his hand dismissively. "No matter, _Dottor_, herbal tea and fruit cake will be most welcome."

I gritted my teeth at the injustice the current circumstances forced on us to be polite to Aro Volturi and his goons.

"Felix, Alec_, andare in barca e rimuovere il dispositivo di tracciamento. Non vogliamo nessun altro per trovare i nostri ... ospiti_."

"_Sì, _Aro," said the large man.

I heard Bella gasp almost inaudibly from the veranda. My head swiveled in her direction as she half-turned in response to the spoken Italian. She stared at me pointedly. Had I not been so attuned to her, I might not have noticed her reaction. I nodded and inclined my head toward the house, indicating that she should proceed inside.

As I returned my attention to our…_guests_…I checked to make sure no one else had noticed. The young man – the youngest of Aro's goons – was staring at Bella fixedly as she trailed into the house, except he wasn't looking at her curiously – he was staring at her lustfully.

My teeth clenched and my hands fisted by my sides. _Over my dead body, fucker!_

He and another older, larger man turned on a dime and jogged in the direction of the beach. I relaxed slightly, relieved he wouldn't come inside the house where Bella was.

"Demetri, _stanno di guardia. Che nessuno congedo uno_," said Aro.

I understood one word – _guardia _– guard.

The man named Demetri nodded obediently.

"Jane_, vieni_."

"_Sì, Papà_," the young woman said. She stepped up beside Aro.

"Will you not introduce me to these other young men?" asked Aro politely.

Again, it was not a request.

Dad jolted. "Oh, of course, Aro. These are my sons Emmett and Jasper. Edward you seem to already know of."

Aro inclined his head in greeting. He gestured toward Larry.

"And this other young man – the one with the horrible hair. Who is this?"

He watched Dad with interest, as if waiting for him to lie. I stiffened.

Larry fidgeted anxiously. He liked to stay under the radar as much as possible. It was a survival mechanism, I'd come to realize after getting to know him better. Dad brought his hand up to rest reassuringly on Larry's shoulder.

"This is Larry," he said simply.

Aro's brows rose into his shaggy hair.

"Ah, yes, Victoria's simple cousin," said Aro knowingly. "She said I might find him here. You seem to have…adopted him." Aro's eyes darkened from bright and friendly to dark and dangerous in a millisecond. "Where is my employee, James Hunter?"

Dad squeezed Larry's shoulder in warning. Emmett spoke up before he or I could answer.

"He's no longer with us."

Aro's gaze swung to Emmett as quick as a rattlesnake striking at its prey.

"You are Emmett Cullen?" Emmett nodded. "If James is no longer with you, then, _where_ is he?"

"We don't know exactly _where_ he finally ended up," said Emmett. "The last time we saw him, was two months ago on the west side of the island. We had…words…and then he departed. We came upon Larry roaming aimlessly and we brought him home with us."

Aro's brows quirked again, and he grinned.

"Ah, yes, your _home_. I find its construction interesting. An eclectic mix of materials."

"We made do with what we could salvage from Victory and from what we could find on the island," I said bitterly. "We didn't have much choice after your _employees_ robbed us blind at sea and shot up our engine. They left us sitting ducks in the path of a hurricane," I growled. "We were lucky to find this island or we would have sank."

Aro waved his hand facetiously. "_Sank_? Your boat had sails, did it not? Why would you sink?"

I leapt at Aro, but was yanked backwards by a strong hand gripping the waistband of my shorts. I turned around, infuriated.

It was Larry.

Both he and Dad reached out and clamped a hand around my upper arms, holding me back from certain injury or death.

Aro tutted. "You should be grateful to your simple friend, Lieutenant. Had you succeeded in touching me, my _figlia_ would have been most displeased." He stroked her hair fondly, as if petting a cat.

Jane's lips curved upward and her eyes shined malevolently at me. She curved her hands around Aro's arm protectively.

"_Figlia_?" Jasper asked.

Aro turned to stare at Jasper. "My daughter. You are Jasper Cullen?"

He nodded curtly.

"You would not like my _figlia_ when she is…_displeased_," Aro added slyly.

Jane smirked.

I shuddered, suddenly remembering where I'd seen her before. It was on the Interpol, FBI and Homeland Security's _Most Wanted_ lists. Jane Sicario was a nasty piece of work – barely 21 and already a seasoned killer. She was wanted in relation to multiple murders in Europe and in the United States.

Dad jumped in to disarm the tension. "There is no need for any violence." He looked at me pointedly. "_Is there_, Edward?" He leaned close to whisper near my ear. "Stand down, son. Now is _not_ the time."

I nodded curtly. Dad and Larry released their hold on my arms.

"After you and your sons, _Dottor_ Cullen," said Aro, gesturing toward the house.

We trailed into the house, Dad holding the door open until our guests had passed through into the foyer. He stared at our _guard_ worriedly before closing the door.

"The dining room is this way," he said quietly, gesturing in the direction of the room.

Aro and Jane walked slowly through the foyer, noting the stair case leading to the upper level, and the open doorway into Dad's office. Aro paused to peer into the dim room, noting the examination bed, Dad's meager medical texts and the equipment scattered around. His eyebrows rose curiously at Dad.

"What you see, is the contents of Victory's sickbay," Dad said. "I have been able to deal with all of our medical needs thus far, but…"

Aro asked curiously, "But what, _Dottor_?"

Dad debated internally, before finally admitting, "I am nearly out of drugs and supplies."

Aro appeared mildly interested. "Ah."

He continued his entry into the dining room where Bella and Alice were laying the table with mugs and plates for afternoon tea. They looked up, staring at our _guests_ with trepidation. Bella looked at me and inclined her head infinitesimally toward the kitchen. She wanted to speak with me and I _needed_ to speak to her. I wanted to know what Aro said in Italian to his goons.

I moved casually toward the kitchen door.

"Please sit down," I offered Aro and Jane resentfully.

Aro escorted a sneering Jane to the long side of the table facing the kitchen. He placed himself in a strategic position to see not only what was going on in the dining room, but in the living room and in the kitchen. Dad sat down in his usual seat at the head of the table, so that Jane and Aro were to his left.

As Aro seated Jane, Larry sidled up beside me. His eyes moved shiftily around the room, as he tried to avoid attracting the interest of Aro and Jane.

"Can I go to my room, Mr Red?" he whispered loudly.

I shook my head. "No, Larry. You can watch television, instead. Mrs _Lady_ and the girls will join you shortly," I said loudly enough for Mom and the girls to hear me in the kitchen.

Larry nodded eagerly, happy to be leaving the vicinity of the man I assumed was _Mr Vulture_. He swung back to whisper an aside to me.

"I'm hungry."

My eyes rolled involuntarily. _What a surprise!_

"The girls will bring you something to eat in a minute. Now, off you go."

Aro held up his hand in a halting motion. "One moment young man. I have questions for you."

"Me?" Larry squeaked. He gulped and stared down at the floor. His fingers fidgeted nervously with the hem of his t-shirt.

Aro snapped his fingers twice in Larry's direction. "Look at me, Laurence," he demanded.

Larry lifted his eyes reluctantly and I stiffened, terrified about what he might reveal to Aro.

"Where is James?"

Larry's eyes shifted away. "Um, he went away."

"Where did he go?"

Larry chewed on his fingers. "Dunno," he mumbled.

"Where is the gold?"

Larry blinked.

"He doesn't know what you're talking of," answered Dad quietly. "Jimmy and Vivi did not confide in him. They used him as a laborer and general all-round gofer."

Aro waved Larry away as he turned to face Dad. He scurried into the living room, and I heard the television turn on a few seconds later, the volume blaring loudly.

"Turn it down!" I yelled automatically. The volume decreased almost immediately.

"You have power and appliances… communication devices, perhaps?" asked Aro, feigning indifference.

"No," answered Emmett, as he sat down opposite Aro. Jasper sat down beside him. "We have a generator that makes enough power to run a few lights and essential appliances."

Aro's eyebrows quirked. "And the television? You have antenna reception?"

Jasper nodded. "Yes. We were able to salvage the antenna from Victory. We receive transmissions from a couple of local Pacific island stations."

They spoke honestly, but vaguely. We could not hide what we had, but we could try to downplay the significance of our assets.

Mom and Bella came in carrying a tea tray each. Dad jumped up to take the tray from Mom, placing it on the table. I did the same with the tray Bella carried.

"Go into the living room, both of you," Dad said to Mom and Bella.

Rose and Alice came through the kitchen door, Alice carrying another tea tray. I took it from her shaking hands, gesturing toward the living room. I followed behind the girls, walking beside Bella.

"What did he say?" I whispered, when I felt we were far enough away not to be overheard.

She inclined her head toward me slightly. "There's a tracking device on Victory. He sent the others to remove it."

I closed my eyes as understanding dawned and the question that had niggled at my brain for months was answered.

_Fucking hell!_

That's _how_ Jimmy was able to track Victory's position and rob us of valuable electronics equipment.

_Volturi Yacht Outfitters_ were the pirates! _Volturi_ included a tracking device as part of the fixtures and fittings in the yachts they refurbished. _They_ owned MORTE.

MORTE tracked the yachts using GPS; robbing them blind, but leaving them seaworthy. The hapless owners limped back to Hawaii and _Volturi's_ dry dock for repairs. The poor bastards probably paid again for their own electronics to be refitted, as well as a new engine to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It was an ingenious method of extortion leaving the public and the Feds none-the-wiser. _Volturi Yacht Outfitters _was a legal front for an organized crime syndicate, and I'd bet my trust fund that Aro Volturi was the _head_ of the _family_.

The vulture had landed…right on our doorstep…or our beach if I was being literal.

This situation was far worse than I had ever imagined. I started planning how we could contain the situation to our advantage. We needed to avoid a protracted, violent confrontation at all costs.

Thank God, the weapons and the dynamite we'd liberated from Jimmy were secure.

Bella wouldn't be happy about it – and I'd deal with the fallout later – but the cache of weapons was hidden in the tunnel behind the waterfall in the grotto. That was another reason why I hadn't wanted Larry to go into the tunnel – I didn't want him finding the weapons. Jasper, Emmett and I had moved the weapons there after our Christmas meeting when we theorized that Jimmy's _boss_ would come looking.

I deduced that Jimmy's search for the gold was a sideline job for Aro Volturi, and our presence on this island, merely a coincidence. Aro had expected us to limp back to Hawaii for repairs and a refit. They took just enough equipment and personal property from the yachts they robbed to make their illegal activities lucrative, drawing the line at outright murder. After all, the gravy train would halt permanently if the owners of the yachts were dead!

Dead.

We were dead ducks for sure, if we couldn't convince Aro that we knew nothing about his business and had no interest in the gold. I walked slowly back to the dining room and took a seat opposite my father. Our eyes connected and I nodded to him imperceptibly. He blinked his understanding, sighing in relief.

Dad poured tea and offered cake. Aro accepted a slice, but Jane's lip curled disdainfully and she blithely pushed the plate away. His eyelid flickered irritably and the plunked the plate back onto the table.

_Bitch._

Aro sipped his tea and ate his cake as the silence around the table stretched uncomfortably. Picking up his napkin, he dabbed delicately at the corners of his mouth and wiped his fingers before discarding the white cloth.

"It's very good, _grazie. _My compliments to your wife."

Dad inclined his head.

"Where is the gold, _Dottor_ Cullen, hmm?"

Dad lowered his tea mug to the table, clasping his hands in front of him.

"You must understand, Aro, that we did not come to this island voluntarily. If we'd had any other choice, we would have returned to Hawaii."

"I understand that, _Dottor_, but that is _not_ what I asked."

Dad swallowed tensely. Emmett and Jasper squirmed nervously in their chairs. Jane stared at them, smiling maliciously.

_Bloody bitch._

I nodded encouragingly to Dad, again.

He took a deep breath. "We have found what appears to be Portuguese gold, circa 1720."

Aro smiled.

"We were not looking for it. We found it by accident – on the west side of the island in an ancient Polynesian fishing village – we believe the former…_owners_…traded with the islanders."

"Very good, _Dottor_."

Aro drew shapes on the table top with his finger as he stared at Dad intently.

"What did you find?"

Jasper spoke up. "We found some plates and cups buried in the sand in one of the huts. We searched, but we found nothing else in the village."

Aro smiled. "Where are they?"

"Upstairs," said Jasper reluctantly.

"Go and get them, _Signore_ Cullen," said Aro softly.

It was not a request.

Jasper left the table. I heard him pause in the living room and then he climbed the stairs.

Aro smiled creepily at Dad as we waited. I think it was meant to be encouraging, but it didn't engender confidence in me that our answers to his questions would be rewarded. Jasper returned, placing the plates and cups on the table in front of Aro.

His eyes glowed. The artifacts gleamed on the table, sparkling in the sun shining through the windows. Jasper had polished the gold revealing the embossed pattern and the hallmarks on the base of each item. Aro appraised them intently, picking them up and turning them this way and that way. He removed a jewelers magnifying piece from his jacket pocket and studied the hallmarks.

Jane spoke for the first time since coming inside. "_Sono vero, Papà_?"

"_Sì, _Jane."

Aro spoke softly, but deadly serious. "What else have you found, gentlemen?"

We remained silent, wondering how much more to disclose to Aro.

"Come now, gentlemen. We've come this far. There must be more to tell, hmm?"

He looked around the table as we fidgeted nervously.

"No," I said, "What you have in front of you is all we found in the fishing village."

Aro tutted again. "Lieutenant, we _know_ there is no more gold in the fishing village, because we've already searched it." He drew more patterns on the table with his index finger. "We found something else rather interesting there, though. Perhaps you know something about it?"

I stiffened. "What?" I gritted out.

What could they have found? Jasper and I had returned to the fishing village and gotten rid of the evidence. Jimmy's remains were nothing but fish food when we threw them into the sea. We'd paddled one of the Polynesia fishing boats a couple of hundred yards away from the beach so the body wouldn't wash back onto shore.

I noticed Emmett tensing. His hands disappeared under the table and his arm muscles contracted as he fisted his hands. His eyes closed tightly as he stared sightlessly at the table. He still refused to talk about what we did that day. The guilt was eating away at him from the inside. Jane cocked her head to the side as she watched his reaction to Aro's teasing words.

_Fucking bitch!_

"It seems there has recently been a rather fierce fire," said Aro, confirming my worst fears. "My man, Demetri, is familiar with fire, did you know that?"

_How the fuck would I know that?_

I must have said it out loud.

"How indeed, Lieutenant. You seemed curious about Demetri when we met outside. I thought his…reputation may have preceded him."

I scowled and shook my head. He was familiar to me, but I couldn't put my finger on it. It wasn't on a _Most Wanted_ list like Jane. It was somewhere else. I'd _seen_ him before, somewhere else.

Aro waved his hand airily. "Oh, well, no matter. What matters, is that Demetri _knows_ fire. Would you like to know what he knows about that particular fire, Lieutenant?"

I quirked a brow. _I'm sure you're going to tell me you shithead, whether I want to know or not._

Aro stroked Jane's hair. She leaned into his hand and purred. I felt sick.

"You tell them, Jane. You like fire almost as much as Demetri does."

"_Grazie, Papà. Mi piacerebbe._"

Jane smiled her evil little smile. "All fire leaves a residue," she said softly. "Everything that burns is fuel for the fire, and some fuel leaves behind a distinctive residue and stench."

I forced myself not to react.

"Oh, the grass had grown a little and the rain had washed away much of the evidence, but if you have a nose for tracking like Demetri does, you can find anything."

"Tell them what Demetri found, _gattino_," Aro purred.

"_Sì, Papà._ Demetri found remnants of a sticky, greasy residue in the soil. It had a sweet, earthy smell mixed with the acrid odor of diesel."

Jane stared around the table to discern our reactions. We were all silent, Emmett especially so. She stared at his downturned head the longest.

"As _Papà_ told you, Demetri's skills with fire are unparalleled. He said a body had recently been burned."

"We cooked a goat," said Jasper firmly. "When we camped there, we found some goats. We killed one to eat and brought some others home with us."

Jane laughed. "A goat, you say, _Signore_ Cullen. I seriously doubt you would douse a goat you planned to eat with diesel. Oh, no, _Signore_ Cullen, the body that burned was not a goat."

Aro sighed. "You see, gentlemen. You can't hide anything from me. I hire the best – well, except for James Hunter – he was a lapse in judgment," he remarked offhandedly, "but oh, well, you live and learn – isn't that what they say?" He grinned. "Now, what other treasures have you found?"

"I thought you were interested in the whereabouts of James Hunter?" I asked in confusion.

Aro turned astonished eyes to me. "Oh, no! I don't care about him. If he's gone for good – well, it saves me the trouble of terminating his employment, hmm."

Dad and I locked eyes, exchanging glances of discomfort.

"So, now that we've established my lack of interest in James Hunter, let us return to the golden matter at hand."

Nervous silence.

Aro huffed. "You force me to use coercive methods, gentlemen. Demetri," he said softly.

The front door banged and soft foot falls hurried into the house. He stopped in the doorway to the dining room. I saw the earpiece he wore.

"_Sì, _Aro?"

"_Portami la principessa. Questi signori richiedono qualche incentivo per dirmi quello che voglio sapere._"

I gasped and reared to my feet as terrified horror sped through my veins. I recognized three words: _Principessa; signori _and_ incentivo_. Princess. Gentlemen. Incentive. I didn't need to translate the rest of the sentence to understand Aro's meaning from those three words. I registered the horrified recognition on Dad's face at the same time.

"NO!" I roared.

Demetri's hand pressing brutally on my shoulder forced me back into my chair. Jane removed a gun from her clothes and pointed it at my chest. Aro nodded at Demetri and he left the room, returning moments later dragging Bella behind him – his hand clamped around her neck. The sounds of my mother's, Rose and Alice's terrified objections followed them into the room, subsiding into quiet sobs of fear.

Aro was distracted as he listened to someone speak through his earpiece. He nodded in satisfaction and folded his hands across his stomach. "Felix, Alec, come into the house."

Momentarily, the other two goons entered the house. "_Sì, _Aro_, Sì,__ Papà_," they said in unison. The younger man – the one who leered at Bella – was Alec, Aro's son.

"Alec, bring the _donne_ and Laurence in here. The more witnesses to our little demonstration, the better."

Alec almost clicked his heels before rushing off to do his father's bidding. "_Sì,__ Papà_."

_Demonstration? What was Aro planning?_

"Leave my wife alone!" I roared, leaping toward her. Felix's automatic weapon digging into my chest stopped me in my tracks. If he started firing in the house, we'd all be dead in the blink of an eye. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know. You don't need to hurt her!"

Aro smiled. "Oh, I think I do, Lieutenant. I think you need some enduring motivation not to lie to me."

Alec returned with Mom, Rose, Alice and Larry at gunpoint. Larry had his arm around Mom supporting her weight as her stressed body threatened to collapse under the strain. Dad jumped toward his wife, stopping reluctantly when Jane turned her gun on him instead.

"Hold it right there, _Dottor_ Cullen," she hissed.

"My wife is pregnant. She can't handle this stress!" he yelled. "Aro, please!" he implored our nemesis.

Aro nodded curtly. "Let her sit down."

Larry led Mom to an empty seat at the table. He knelt down on the floor by her feet, protectively. Dad's eyes flashed over his wife, assessing her condition as best he could. She was pale. Her whole body was racked with tremors and she was perspiring profusely. Felix roughly pushed Alice and Rose towards their husbands. They went willingly to be engulfed in shielding arms. Alice was sobbing quietly as she buried her face in Jasper's chest. Rose was stoic as she bravely faced our adversaries, but she, too, was as pale as snow.

"Ah, good, now that we're all here – Demetri, _dimostrare la tua esperienza con il fuoco, per favore_."

Bella gasped, struggling against Demetri's fierce hold on her.

"You speak _Italiano, principessa_?" asked Aro with surprise.

"On-only a f-few w-words," she stuttered.

"Excellent, excellent. _Principessa_, please translate what I said for your husband's benefit."

Bella gulped and faced me, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "He…he said, _Demetri, demonstrate your expertise with fire._"

"Very good, _principessa_. Demetri, if you will."

"NO!" I roared again. Felix reached out and grabbed me around the back of the neck, applying pressure to the arteries that brought vital oxygen to my brain. I felt my body begin to slacken before Felix relaxed his grip.

Dad spoke up urgently. "Aro! This is _not_ necessary. We will tell you whatever you want to know. We've already told you that!"

Aro nodded consideringly. "Yes, _Dottor_ Cullen, you did tell me that, but when I asked what other treasures you'd found, you and your sons said nothing. So, now, alas, a lesson is required. Only then will I know that you will answer all of my questions."

Jane smirked gleefully.

_Bloody, fucking bitch mole!_

I fisted my hair as I struggled to find a solution. I'd never felt so powerless before. Not when I came up against Jimmy in the fishing village; not while I battled Victory's demise at sea; and never during my navy career.

"Alec, _portare la candela al tavolo e accenderla_." Aro waved toward the sideboard.

Alec smirked along with his bitch sister as he brought a candle to the table and removed an engraved, gold lighter from his pant pocket. His eyes darkened with lust as Demetri dragged Bella closer to the table. He lit the candle as he stared at Bella. I realized with a sickening wave of nausea, that he enjoyed inflicting pain. It aroused him.

_Sick fucker!_

"This is _not_ necessary, Aro!" I yelled.

Demetri dragged Bella closer to the table and held her right hand over the flickering flame – not yet close enough to burn, but near enough that she would feel the heat against the sensitive skin on her palm.

"Aaagh," she moaned fearfully.

I spoke rapidly, my voice saturated with adrenalin and fear. "The gold is hidden in the Poly…"

"_Silenzio lui!_"

That was the last thing I heard, before Felix drew back the butt of his automatic rifle. As I prepared myself for what I knew would be a debilitating blow, I was stunned when it never came. Quicker than I thought was ever possible, Larry reared to his feet in front of me, directly in the path of the rifle butt. It struck him hard in the mouth, shattering his teeth. The force of the blow threw him back against my chest and the crippling pain brought him down…and me along with him as we crashed to the floor. Through a fog of ringing ears and blood splattered vision, I vaguely heard Bella and my mother screaming.

"Aro! That's enough!" Emmett yelled, finally waking up to what was going on around us.

He carefully bundled Rose into a chair at the table, standing tall and straight at his impressive 6 feet 4 inch height. He'd give Felix a run for his money on sheer size and muscle mass alone. In an even fight, I'd put my money on Emmett.

"You've made your point!" he snarled. "The gold is hidden in the Polynesian tiki's. We've found three of them – two on this side of the island, not far from here, and one on the north side of the island. We don't know if there are any more and we don't give a _shit_ about any of it! You can have it all."

"Thank you, _Signore _Cullen, I believe I will," said Aro.

Emmett just had to keep speaking. I groaned in disbelief.

"Good! Now, _fuck off_, you creepy bastard and take your goons and your sicko kids with you."

_Oh, crap!_

…

A/N: A few photos for the chapter are on my blog at jkazziefanfiction at wordpress dot com

Through my research, I've discovered that _Volturi_ is derived from the Latin for **Vulture**. The etymology of the word **vulture **from the Latin, is: Vultur, Voltur, Vulturius and Volturius. Wikipedia says 'vulture' is derived from Volturus. Whatever the exact etymology, it means 'tearer' and is a reference to the feeding habits of the large bird. Presumably Ms Meyer did similar research when she selected the name _Volturi_ for the Italian vampire rulers. They are indeed vultures – preying on the weak and tearing at their bodies during feeding.

Has anyone else figure out the etymology of Volturi? I don't recall if Ms Meyer ever disclosed how she came up with the name – maybe she did, and I missed it. I also think that Ms Meyer based the Edward and Bella characters loosely on Disney's _Beauty and the Beast._ Beauty's name is Belle and the Beast is a cursed prince named Adam. Belle falls in love with the beast and in doing so releases Prince Adam from his beastly curse. That might also have been theorized by others. I don't know, but I do know that I have too much time on my hands if I can come to the above conclusions. *laughs*

I don't speak Italian (or Latin for that matter), so I've used Google Translate. My apologies to anyone of Italian origin, if I've inadvertently butchered this beautiful language.

**Translations: Italian to English**

_Dottor_ = Doctor

_Figlia_ = Daughter

_Sì _= Yes

_Gattino _= Kitten

**Aro:**

Felix, Alec_, andare in barca e rimuovere il dispositivo di tracciamento. Non vogliamo nessun altro per trovare i nostri ... ospiti _

Felix, Alec, go to the yacht and remove the tracking device. We don't want anyone else to find our...guests.

_Portami la principessa. Questi signori richiedono qualche incentivo per dirmi quello che voglio sapere_

Bring me the princess. These gentlemen require some incentive to tell me what I want to know.

**Jane:**

_Sono vero, Papà?_ = Are they genuine, Papà?

_Grazie, Papà. Mi piacerebbe._ = Thank you, Papà. I'd love to.


	41. Chapter 41- Making a Deal with the Devil

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thank you to EsmeCullen47 for her editing skills and pre-reading.

Some of my readers are terrified that the Cullen's or Larry will die. They won't – I promise. Only bad guys and peripheral good-guy characters (not Larry) will die in Wrecked. This is primarily an adventure/mystery/romance story – not angst through death of loved characters, though there are angsty moments. If life on the island were perfect for the Cullen's and Larry, there wouldn't be a story. The Cullen's and Larry _will_ get rescued and _will_ return to Hawaii, probably after the babies are born, however I'm not planning on another 40 chapters to take us to that point.

…

Chapter 41 – Making a Deal with the Devil

_Oh, Crap!_

Struggling under Larry's prone weight, I shoved him off me as pandemonium broke out in our dining room. All of the Cullen women were screaming and Bella was crying out in pain as that sadistic asshole, Demetri, held her open palm close to the candle flame.

Incendiary rage, buoyed by a rapid injection of fight or flight hormones, charged along the miles of blood vessels in my body. Every cell and atom in the air around me seemed to move in slow motion. I could feel and hear my heart thump as it threatened to pummel its way out of my chest. My nerve endings buzzed, my muscles swelled with primal energy, and my joints flexed, able to move in whichever way and whatever direction I commanded them to.

I felt as I could take on the world and beat it into submission. I couldn't – somehow my higher functioning brain knew that – but I _could_ save my wife from Aro's soldier of fire.

Less than a second after rising from the floor, I pushed Bella away from her tormentor and drew my arm back, letting it fly at the asshole's face. As my fist connected with a satisfying crunch against the prick's nose, I saw Bella bang up against the sideboard as she was flung backwards. Her back arched and she grimaced with pain, as the edge of the furniture dug into her back.

My heart stopped its rapid beating for one…two…three seconds.

_Oh, my God – I hurt her! I hurt my Bella!_

"I'mm…aaalll…righhhtttt!" Bella yelled.

Her voice sounded distant and distorted to me, but her words tunneled through the fog shrouding my brain. I blinked reflexively as time slowed and crawled. Bella's hand reached out toward me and an expression of dread crossed her face. My eyes widened. _What…?_

"Lookkkk…ooouuutt, Eddd…wwward!" she screamed.

From my peripheral vision, I saw the assholes fist driving toward my recently broken nose. Another injection of adrenalin thundered along my veins, jolting my heart to begin beating again. Time sped up at mach speed, jarring me from my torpor. I turned my head, blocking Demetri's movement with an upheld arm in front of my face and drove the heel of my other hand against his shattered and bleeding nose.

His agonizing squeal of pain drowned out the sound of the appendage almost sheering off his face. The asshole dropped to his knees, holding his bloody, mashed face in his hands.

"Better find yourself a good plastic surgeon, asshole!" I goaded.

As I spun around on the balls of my feet, preparing to take on the next asshole, Dad was pulling Mom's chair – with her still in it – away from the table, and the line of fire. He parked her in the corner, leaning over her with a stern finger in her face.

"Stay there!" he ordered.

She nodded with wide, fear filled eyes. Dad nodded; satisfied that Mom was as safe as he could make her in the current circumstances.

My attention was drawn to Emmett and Rose, as Jane leaped from her seat and catapulted across the table, intent on defending her father's honor. Had it really only been mere seconds since Emmett's thoughtless but justified remark to Aro?

Tea mugs and side plates went flying in all directions. Rose ducked. Given her unwieldy state of pregnancy, I don't know where she found the speed and agility, but she did – diving towards the floor and under the table – just milliseconds before Jane dealt Emmett a stinging, punishing kick to the balls.

I flinched._ Ooohhh – that had to hurt!_

It was every man's worst nightmare, more so for Emmett, seeing as Jane was wearing steel toe boots.

His face grimaced in shock and agony, as he clutched his junk protectively with both hands. He squeaked, unable to articulate through the intense pain racking his body. My eyes widened in fascination, momentarily distracted from the fighting by Emmett's reaction.

His eye's bugged out of his head, and then they squinted tightly shut as he began collapsing in on himself. I watched with a kind of detached interest as he baulked. His face flushed red and his cheeks bulged. In an instant, I realized what was happening and I stepped back hurriedly, just as Emmett keeled over, vomiting his guts up all over Demetri, who was still kneeling on the floor.

The partially digested remains of Emmett's breakfast flowed over the asshole's head, face, and hands. It dripped off his elbows and knees to pool on the floor.

_Ugh, gross. But, it couldn't have happened to a more deserving man._

Emmett fell backwards on his haunches (still holding his junk) and collapsed on the floor, writhing. He rolled onto his side and brought his knees up to his chest. Tears were running down his cheeks as he cried like a baby.

_Poor bastard._

"Oh, God, Emmett!" screamed Rosalie from under the table.

She scrambled forward on her hands and knees. Her hands fluttered frantically over Emmett as she tried to console him. When she touched him, he cringed and squealed. Rose pulled her hands back in a panic. She looked up at me anxiously.

"What do I do?"

I shrugged. How the hell should I know? I've never been kicked in the balls before.

"Just stay with him," I said.

As I looked around me at the chaos reigning in the room, I noticed that _bitch-mole_, Jane, sitting on the edge of the table smirking at the havoc she'd wreaked on Emmett. My eyes narrowed on the tiny hellion spawn of Satan.

Little did I know that Rose had focused on her, too, until her swollen figure flashed past me. Her slender arm reached out for the candle still burning on the table. The melted wax had pooled in a deep well around the wick. Pulling her arm back, Rose glared hatred at Jane, and then she threw the burning candle toward her face with the pitch of a seasoned baseball player.

Jane's smirk altered to one of panic, as she brought her hand up to knock away the candle. The wax sprayed heavily through the air, landing with many little plops against the pale skin of Jane's hand. She screamed, dropping the handgun she held and clutched her burning hand against her stomach. The gun clattered, unnoticed, to the floor under Jane's feet.

"Why, you little _cunt_," she screamed at Rose.

"It takes one to know one," Rose spat. She struck a fighting stance, prepared to defend her reputation and protect her incapacitated husband.

Reaching out with my foot, I flung the gun away toward my brother Jasper who was fighting hand-to-hand with Felix. Jazz was smaller and wirier, and was able to dodge some of his assailant's jabs. He got in a lucky right hook to the underside of Felix' jaw and followed up with a double punch to his kidneys.

"Oomph," Felix gasped. He staggered forward.

As he did, Alice let out a screech and leaped on to his back, her legs clinging to his sides. She pummeled his shoulders, neck, and head with her tiny fists. Jasper and I were struck dumb for a moment as we took in the sight of his petite wife wailing on a man that was three times her weight and size. Jazz reached down and swept up the handgun.

Bella running past me to Larry's aid, distracted me from watching Alice. I left Jasper to take care of her before she got hurt. Larry was still prone on the floor, spluttering blood as it flowed unchecked down his throat. Bella bent over, sliding her hands under his shoulders to grip him under his arms. She staggered under his sheer weight as she tried with all her might to pull him to safety. His mouth was a gaping hole where his front teeth used to be, but he was coming out of his faint.

"Push with your feet, Larry!" she huffed.

As I ran to assist Bella, my eyes tracked Alec. He followed Bella's movements with leering eyes, looking down her cleavage as her t-shirt gaped at the neck. He licked his lips and stalked purposefully toward her.

_Oh, no you don't, fucker!_

Before I could head him off, Larry lifted his head and locked his gaze on sicko Alec. Something in Larry's eyes flared dangerously. As he pushed with his feet, he kicked out with one enormous booted foot and struck Alec a glancing blow to the knee. He grunted, his knee giving out, but he didn't collapse under the onslaught. He did think twice about joining the fray, however, scowling as he limped backward.

_Pussy!_

"Alec!" barked Aro.

Alec's head and mine swiveled in his direction. Aro was still sitting in his chair at the table, unconcerned with the carnage playing out around him.

"_Non essere sciocco! Non farlo di nuovo. __Ti avevo avvertito. __Vieni_."

Alec's face bore an expression of apprehension. He swallowed and nodded. "_Sì, papà_."

I glared at him as he edged slowly around the table to stand behind his father's chair. My eyes never left him. I felt myself sink into a momentary vacuum where thoughts and intentions reverberated sickeningly around my skull.

It was if I could hear and see the idea's forming in Alec's mind. I couldn't, but I'd seen his _type_ before at Naval Intelligence School when the Navy collaborated with the FBI at Quantico. I'd studied his _type_ in depth. I'd observed his type, spoken to his type and dissected the sociopathic personality of his type… a predator of the worst kind. A man who preyed on young girls and women for his own pleasure.

My mind returned to its sole state of awareness as I tore my gaze from Alec. I had to yell over the cacophony of noise as half of the fourteen people in the room, groaned, screamed, cried, yelled, or screeched.

"Are you okay?" I asked Bella. My tone was aggravated.

She swallowed and nodded her head rapidly. "Yes," she said breathlessly.

"Stay away from Alec," I told her. "I don't trust the little shit."

"Neither do I." She shivered as she glanced at him. I adjusted her t-shirt so that it covered her cleavage.

"Let me do this, Bella."

She nodded and moved aside. I hefted Larry up and dragged him away, settling him into a reclining position up against the wall. He was bleeding so heavily from his shredded gums, I was afraid he'd choke on his own fluids.

"Surts, Meeter Et," Larry whimpered pitifully through a spray of blood. He brought his trembling hands up to his shattered mouth.

I dodged the spray. "I know it hurts, Larry. I'm gonna get you some help as soon as I can." I patted his blood soaked shoulder sympathetically. "Thank you for stopping Alec and for taking the hit meant for me."

"'Sokay. Eees spad spoy. Surt Mees Sperra."

I felt my face darken. Larry had pegged Alec as a 'bad boy' almost as quickly as I had. They say children are good judges of character and Larry was very childlike. He saw what untrained adults might not have.

"No, he won't, Larry. I won't let him hurt Bella, I promise."

"'Sokay."

"Bella, stay with him." She nodded and knelt on the floor by his knees.

I stood up and searched out Dad. He was stomping across the floor to stand at the head of the table. His fists were clenched by his sides and his mouth was drawn into a taut, straight line. He assessed the battleground that was our house with flashing eyes.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" His appalled voice bellowed through the room.

Immediate silence fell, as every single person turned to face my father. Aro raised his brows in surprise and Jane sneered. Dad froze her dead in her tracks.

"Wipe that snide expression off your face, young lady," he hissed angrily. "If you were _my_ daughter, I'd put you over my knee and paddle it raw. You wouldn't sit down for a year," he promised her. I believed him possible of following up in that moment.

She opened her mouth to retort, but shut it with a snap of her teeth when her father barked sharply in his native tongue.

She lowered her head, mumbling, "_Sì, papa_."

Dad barked out his own orders. The former Chief of Surgery of Hawaii's premier hospital had emerged.

"Edward, go into the kitchen and bring me the bucket of ice from the freezer." I nodded, striding through the door with a warning scowl at Alec to stay where he was.

"Bella, go into my office and bring my bag and some surgical cloths."

"Yes, Carlisle," I heard her say quietly. Her figure flashed through the dining room door and into the living room as I made my way back from the kitchen.

"Alice!"

She looked up sharply. "Y-yes, Carlisle?"

"Go and get a basin of cold water and bring it here." He softened his tone slightly.

She nodded jerkily. "O-okay."

She wobbled away to do as he said. Jasper wiped the blood off his face with the back of the hand holding Jane's mislaid gun. Felix stood up to tower behind him and lifted it out of his hand.

My eyes closed. _Shit._

Dad turned on Felix, speaking grimly. "Put that gun away, young man. There will be NO shooting in this house! We have three pregnant women here, and four seriously injured people – two of them are your comrades."

Felix sought Aro's eye for permission and he nodded his consent. Dad noticed, but didn't say anything. I think he was just relieved that Aro was proceeding sensibly. Bella and Alice returned with the items Dad asked for. Bella walked nervously behind Alec to hand Dad his medical bag/case/box – whatever you wanted to call it. He opened it and removed some square gauze he'd cut from surgical towel. They could be washed and boiled to sterilize them for re-use.

"Bella, take some of this gauze and see what you can do with Larry's mouth. Be careful not to jostle any loose teeth. Edward, take three of those surgical cloths and fill them with ice. Put one against Larry's mouth over the gauze. The cold will help to numb the pain and slow the bleeding."

We both nodded.

"Felix?" He quirked a brow at Dad.

"Take this gauze and another of the ice packs and hold them against Demetri's nose. You need to slow his bleeding down and reduce the swelling."

He inclined his head and took the proffered gauze from Dad. "_Sì_, _Dottor_ Cullen."

"Rose, take the other ice pack. Lay Emmett on his back with his knees raised and his feet flat on the floor. Place the cold pack against his groin area – under his jeans, but next to his underwear."

She nodded, happy to be able to do something to alleviate her husband's discomfort.

"Jane, come here." Dad's tone implied it was not a request.

Jane hesitated.

"Do as the good _Dottor_ says!" barked Aro, losing patience with his stubborn child.

"_Sì, papa_." She lifted her chin defiantly and stomped over to Dad.

"Hold out your injured hand."

She clenched her teeth disagreeably but did as she was told. Dad pulled on some surgical gloves and inspected the nasty, hot wax burn, which covered the thumb and upper section of her right hand. Wax adhered to the skin. He tried to pick it off, but it was stuck firm.

"Sit down and place your hand into the basin of cool water. Leave it there for at least 10 minutes, and then I'll try to remove the wax – it looks like a second degree burn."

"No thanks to her," Jane hissed in Rose's direction.

Rose bared her teeth at Jane. "If you hadn't kicked my husband in his jewels, I wouldn't have done it."

"_Silenzio_," growled Aro, "both of you. Jane, sit and soak your hand as _Dottor_ Cullen ordered."

While Jane was soaking, Dad checked quickly on Mom, taking her pulse and blood pressure. His mouth tightened at whatever the readings were. I gathered they were less than ideal.

"Come into the living room, Esme. I want you to lay out on the sofa and rest."

She shook her head. "I-I'm fine, C-Carlisle," she stuttered.

"Don't argue, Esme!" he barked. Her eyes widened and she nodded agreeably.

As Dad helped Mom into the living room, Bella and I attended to Larry. The bleeding had begun to slow. Bella swapped the blood soaked gauze for another piece. His mouth was a real mess. I don't know how he was gonna eat. I counted five missing teeth and two that were seriously crooked – one bending into his mouth and one bending out. I predicted a lot of soft food in his future and liquid meals until he could chew again. He'd never be able to bite into an apple – not until his teeth were replaced, and that would only happen when…_if_ we returned to Hawaii.

I looked over at Emmett's prostrate form on the floor. Rose had her hand down his pants holding the cold pack in place. His whimpers of agony had morphed into moans of relief as the ice soothed his pain and swelling. I wondered if he'd be able to piss while he healed.

Aro's soldier, Demetri, was unconscious on the floor in a pool of blood and Emmett's vomit. It was a tossup between him and Larry, which one of them was worse off. I'd done a real number on his face and I wasn't sorry – not one iota. His nose was a mangled mess of shattered bone and broken cartilage, slewed to the right and up toward his eye.

_The prick deserved it for trying to burn my wife!_

Alice was cleaning Jasper's abrasions from his fight with Felix. His knuckles were grazed and oozing blood. He spread his fingers stiffly as the joints began to swell. His left cheekbone was sporting a darkening bruise, and his bottom lip was split, but otherwise he'd fared pretty well in the fight, as had I.

Dad came back into the room. He grabbed his stethoscope and blood pressure cuff and took Rose's readings. He patted her shoulder and told her to take it easy, then moved along to Alice to repeat the diagnostic procedures. He pulled a small bag from his pocket and told her to make herself a pot of warm-steeped tea.

"Drink it all, Alice."

She nodded and a tear slipped from her eye. "I'm sorry, Carlisle."

He hugged her around the shoulders in a comforting motion. "I know you are, Alice. Now is not the time, but we _will_ talk later." She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Go into the living room and stay with Esme."

"Okay."

Dad made his way to where Bella and I sat with Larry. He visually assessed Demetri as he stepped over his prone body, stopping briefly to check the dilation of his pupils.

"Felix, roll Demetri onto his side and open his mouth. He's not breathing properly. I'll be back directly."

Dad knelt on the floor beside Larry. I pulled the icepack away and Dad removed the gauze.

"Can you open your mouth, Larry?"

Larry whimpered, but did as Dad asked, parting his swollen lips about an inch. Dad shined his penlight into Larry's mouth. He frowned and replaced the bloody gauze with a clean square. Bella handed the icepack to Larry.

"Hold the pack against your mouth, Larry," Bella said gently. He nodded, pressing it gingerly against his face.

Dad stood up and stepped away, gesturing to Bella and I to follow him.

"Edward, see if you can find the five missing teeth. I'd rather not have to dig around in his gums for the roots, if the teeth fell out in their entirety. As it is, I'm going to have to try and straighten the two crooked teeth, or remove them."

"Okay," I said softly, looking back at Larry sympathetically.

_Poor bastard._

"Bella, do you feel well enough to help me?"

She nodded. "Sure, Carlisle."

"Good." He turned his head and called, "Jasper?"

He looked up from his place in Dad's chair at the dining table. "Yeah, Dad?"

"Help Edward take Emmett upstairs. Undress him to his shorts and put him to bed with a new cold pack. Rose, go with them. When you come back, move Larry into my office."

Aro piped up from his seat. He hadn't moved since sitting down. "What about my _figlia_ and Demetri, _Dottor_ Cullen?"

Dad arched a brow and stared Aro down. "I'm working on a triage, Aro. Those who are the least injured can wait. However, I will treat Jane's burn while I wait for Larry to be brought to my office."

"Yes, but my man, Demetri, is unconscious. Should you not treat him next after Jane, _Dottor_ Cullen?" Aro persisted.

"Why, yes, Aro," Dad jibed sarcastically, "in ideal circumstances, I would normally treat Demetri as an urgent case, however without an X-Ray machine, a CT or an MRI machine, it is difficult for me to diagnose the severity of his concussion and injuries."

Aro's eyes narrowed at Dad's tone.

"What do you need, _Dottor_ Cullen?"

Dad gaped at Aro, confused. "What do you mean, Aro?"

Aro huffed impatiently. He pushed his chair pack and strode around the table to stand looking down on Demetri. He lifted his eyes to Dad's face.

"I _mean_ exactly what I said. What equipment and supplies do you need?"

Dad paused in astonishment, then reeled off a list of items before Aro could change his mind.

"A portable X-Ray system and an independent power source, drugs, painkillers, antibiotics, general and local anesthetic, surgical supplies."

Aro nodded. "Write an exact list, _Dottor_."

Dad left the dining room for his office, returning quickly with some paper and a pen. He sat at the table and began writing.

Aro removed a satellite telephone from his pocket. My eyes bugged out of my head as I watched him key in a series of numbers, then scroll through his contacts list.

"Do not get excited, Lieutenant," he cautioned me as he held the phone to his ear. He stared at me intently. "The phone is encrypted. It is useless to you without the decryption code."

I mashed my teeth together in frustration.

The person Aro called, answered the phone. "It is I, Aro. Send a launch to the southern beach to collect a list. Take the helicopter to Kiritimati and have _Dottor_ Elias fill the list, then return here tonight."

He hung up and turned off his phone, spinning on his heel to address Alec, who stood pouting behind Aro's vacated seat.

"Alec, take the _Dottor's _list and meet the launch. When Diego leaves in the helicopter, take the launch and return to the ship."

Alec opened his mouth to object. He snapped his teeth together in response to Aro's glare of displeasure. Jane rolled her eyes disparagingly at her brother. A look of disgust flittered across her features, before they settled into her usual blank expression.

"You have the list, _Dottor_?" Dad handed the hastily scrawled inventory to Aro. He snapped his fingers at Alec, handing it off to his son. "Go. Now."

Alec stood at attention sharply, then turned on his heel and left the room. I heard the front door slam behind him and I let a sigh of relief that he was gone.

Dad's eyes connected with mine and Jasper's. He inclined his head toward Emmett. We nodded and helped him to his feet after Rose removed her hand from his pants. She buttoned them, but didn't pull the zip closed.

As we walked slowly through the living room to the foyer, I noticed Alice sitting on the sofa where Mom was laying out, asleep, clearly exhausted by the stress and strain of the past two hours. Her feet were in Alice's lap and she was rubbing them absentmindedly.

Alice glanced at us wanly as we passed out of the room.

…

The afternoon dragged on, as we waited for the chopper to return with the medical supplies. I was under no illusions that had Demetri not been so badly injured, Aro would never have offered the supplies.

After settling Emmett into bed, Jazz and I left him in the capable hands of Rosalie with a fresh icepack. Bella was still tending to Larry, and intermittently checking on Demetri under the guard of Felix, while Dad took care of Jane's burn in his office.

When they were finished, Aro sent her to sit between the living and dining rooms, the handgun resting on her lap. Their constant, unrelenting presence meant I couldn't sneak away to use the chopper's radio and call for help.

I heard the rotors of the chopper whirring as it flew away about a half hour after Aro made his call. That told me that Aro's ship wasn't too far away. It was probably moored outside the reef near another bay to the west of our current location, most likely at or near the fishing village.

I wondered anxiously if it was another MORTE.

Jasper and I sat in the living room after delivering Larry to Dad's office. He and Bella did what they could for him, while we waited for the medical supplies to arrive. I'd looked for Larry's teeth, but could only find three of them. They seemed to be intact down to the roots. He probably swallowed the other two and I told Dad that, when I handed the bloody specimens over.

"What do ya think is gonna happen, now?" Jasper whispered beside me.

"I don't exactly know." I turned slightly on the sofa so my back was toward Jane. "Aro's generosity surprised me." I frowned as I tried to work out what his game plan was.

"Yeah, but if Demetri hadn't been hurt, I bet he wouldn't have done it," posed Jasper.

"That's what I thought, as well, but I wonder…"

Jazz stared at me insistently. "What?"

"He could have had us killed when Dad called a halt, but he didn't. He's up to something. I just haven't figured out what it is yet."

"Hmm. His son, Alec, is a bit of an odd-ball."

"Yeah. I trust _him_ even less than I trust Aro. He's just…wrong, somehow. He kept staring at Bella like she was a favorite dessert."

Jazz nodded. "Yeah, I know. He was ogling Alice, too. I don't like it; I'm relieved Aro sent him away."

I scowled. "Yeah, but for how long?" I pondered worriedly.

Aro walked into the living room with Felix in tow. "Gentlemen, Felix is in need of some assistance. We must make camp before nightfall and since Demetri's current situation is _your_ fault, Lieutenant, I've decided that you and your brother will help Felix."

_Fuck off!_

I figure my face said it for me, because Felix stalked over and pulled me off the sofa by the scruff of my t-shirt. He screwed the cloth in his fist, cutting off my air supply, as the fabric constricted my throat tightly. Alice gasped and Jasper reared to his feet.

"You _will_ assist us, Lieutenant, without argument, or I'll let Jane take her revenge for Demetri's condition." Aro's tone was deadly serious.

Jane grinned gleefully, standing up to stroll across the room. She cocked her head to the side and stared me down.

"I have two boots, Lieutenant. They're new." She struck a pose as she modeled the shiny, black boots on her feet. "I'm excited to test the other one. Are you volunteering?" she asked softly. Her eyes shone with anticipation as she stared at my crotch.

I gulped. Couldn't help it. _Fucking mole!_

"No," I croaked, "we'll help you."

Aro gestured to Felix to release me and I gasped in a few breaths, rubbing at my raw throat.

"Where, ahem, where do you want to set up camp?" I asked hoarsely.

Aro smiled happily, showing his blindingly white teeth. "I think your compound will do nicely. Our camp supplies are at the beach. Go with Felix and bring them back."

Aro wandered away. Discussion over.

Jane's face wore unmistakable disappointment. Her lip curled spitefully and she narrowed her eyes at me. I'd have to watch my back with her. She wasn't finished with me yet. To make sure I knew it, she kicked me in the calf with her untested boot as she walked away.

My leg collapsed out from under me. Only Jasper's quick reflexes saved me from falling ignominiously to the floor.

_Jesus Christ Almighty! Fuck!_

"Bloody hell, Edward, are you okay?" Jazz yelped.

I panted through the stinging pain radiating up and down my leg.

_Shit. Fuck-bloody!_

"No!" I gasped.

_Oh my God. I think I just experienced a fraction of the pain that Emmett had._

Still relying on Jasper's support, I leaned over to massage my calf muscle. I could feel the bruise forming under the skin. Placing all of my weight on the floor, I limped away slowly, coaching my blood to resume circulating.

Alice was gawping at us with eyes the size of teacup saucers. Her mouth quivered, but she remained unusually quiet. Fortunately, Mom had slept through the encounter.

Jasper walked over to Alice. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Stay here with Mom, Ally. Do as they say and don't argue. Tell Dad where we are when you see him. We'll be back as soon as we can."

She flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as she sobbed quietly.

"Shssh, Alice," he soothed her. He rubbed her back comfortingly. "It's gonna be alright, you'll see."

Alice pulled back to gape at Jasper incredulously. "How can you say that!"

Jasper looked away, swallowing anxiously. He turned back and kissed his wife's head again, and then he followed Felix into the foyer. He could have lied, but he chose not to.

"That's what I thought," Alice mumbled dejectedly.

I followed my brother out of the house, limping down the front steps.

…

When we got to the beach, I was dragging my leg slightly. I kept going, though, because I knew if I stopped, the leg would stiffen up.

The beach was cratered where the wheels of the heavy Sikorsky helicopter had dug into the sand. A mountain of equipment was stacked haphazardly near the tree line. The pilot, Diego, had obviously flung it there hurriedly, so he could depart and return loaded up with the medical supplies.

Jasper's brows rose as he registered what I already had. "This is going to take us hours."

Felix gestured with his automatic rifle. "You'd better get started then, huh?"

"Aren't you gonna help?" I asked incredulously.

Felix smirked. "Well, now, if I did that, your brother might get the jump on me again, so no, I'm not gonna help. Get moving," he snarled.

Jazz and I exchanged resigned glances. He reached down to grab a pack and I followed suit, hefting the oversized canvas bag over my shoulder. By the time we returned to camp, we were sweating profusely and my leg was cringing under the strain. I dumped the bag in the middle of the compound.

"I'm gonna get the wheelbarrow," I told Jasper breathlessly.

He nodded, wiping his brow with the hem of his t-shirt. "I'll get us a couple of water bottles." He turned to address Felix with a derisive tone. "Is that okay with you?"

A tick quivered at the side of Felix' mouth, but he nodded curtly. "Don't be long. Remember, if you deviate in any way, someone's gonna pay. _Capisce_?"

My jaw clenched. "Yes," I growled resentfully.

It was easier to move the Volturi equipment with the barrow, but it still took us almost two hours, and some of the gear – the trunks, and their tents – needed to be carried by both of us. We were utterly exhausted, and we still had to erect the damned tents. The bruise on my calf was purple by the time we collapsed on the steps. I inspected it closely, measuring the contusion with my hand. It was the size of a sirloin steak and growing.

Dad came out of the house with Aro in tow. _Where was Jane?_ He handed us both fresh water bottles and tossed one to Felix. I gulped half of it down in one pull, and then poured the rest of it over my head and face. The cold water was immediately refreshing against my overheated skin. Jasper drank his water more slowly. He was hot and filthy – a reflection of how I probably looked.

I shifted around on the step, leaning back against the banister and stretching out my injured leg. When I focused on Dad, he was staring at my leg. His mouth was tightly drawn and his eyes glinted angrily.

"What happened?" he growled.

"Jane," I explained simply.

Felix sniggered.

Dad scowled. His hands twitched as he restrained himself from turning on Aro. My father was a pacifist, as a rule, but the Volturi were quickly wearing his values thin.

"Where's Bella?" I asked worriedly.

"In your room, resting – she's exhausted…and nauseated."

I panicked and struggled to stand up. "What's wrong with her!" I wanted to go to her immediately.

Dad brandished his hands in a calming gesture. "She's _okay_, Edward. She's just hot and tired. I sent her upstairs to join your mother and Alice about half an hour ago. They're all resting and that's the way I want to keep it."

I knew my Dad wouldn't lie to me, so I eased myself down on the step.

"Where is Jane?" I asked quietly.

Aro responded. "I sent her on reconnaissance. Your father was kind enough to give me the location of the two tiki's nearest here. She will report back shortly." He paused and then asked slyly, "Why are you interested, Lieutenant, do you miss her?" He laughed inanely at his own irony.

I scowled.

"How are Emmett and Larry," Jasper asked. His question served to distract me, as he intended.

Dad sighed and sat down on the steps with us. Aro chose to lower himself into one of the armchairs on the veranda, his elbows rested on the armrests and he steepled his fingers as he considered our family dynamics curiously. He cocked his head to one side and listened carefully to our conversation.

I wondered what diabolical scheme he was planning.

"Emmett is understandably bruised and swollen…and in a great deal of pain," Dad told us. "He's resting at the moment. The icepacks have helped, and he'll recover…in time. Edward, did you use all of the Tylenol I gave you for your nose?"

I shook my head. "No, there's still two tablets left."

"Where are they?"

"In Bella's backpack. It's over there on the picnic table," I told him.

Dad stood up to retrieve the pack and Jasper stared fixedly at my face. He quirked a questioning brow. I pasted a blank expression on my face and was saved from lying to him when Dad handed me the pack.

I rifled through it for the nearly empty strip of painkillers. They were hiding under Bella's silky white wedding night outfit. I smiled with remembered pleasure when I recalled the second night of our honeymoon. She'd donned the lingerie again, and I'd gotten the opportunity to ogle her, before removing it from her luscious body. I stayed away from the commode closet while she changed. I'd learned my lesson…the hard way.

"I'll give them to Emmett," Dad explained when I handed the strip to him. "They should help until the medical supplies get here. How long will it take for the helicopter to make the return trip to Kiritimati?"

I did a quick calculation in my head. "Hmm, a couple of hours each way, maybe less, and then a couple of hours for the pilot to collect the supplies." I looked at my watch – it was nearly five pm. "I estimate the chopper should be back by around 7 or 8 o'clock tonight."

"How's Larry doing?" Jasper asked.

Dad raked a hand through his hair. If the disheveled state was anything to go by, it wasn't the first time he'd done it during the past two hours.

"He's resting in his room, as well, but he's in a great deal of pain. I couldn't really do much for him – he won't let me near his mouth. I'll have to wait until I can administer an anesthetic."

I didn't blame Larry. I don't know if I'd let Dad dig around in my shattered mouth without drugs, either. "What about his teeth? Can you, I don't know, put them back in?"

Dad grimaced. "Well, I'll try. The odds of success will have been better, if I'd been able to treat him already. The longer the teeth remain avulsed, the more difficult it will be to reinsert them successfully."

I stared at him blankly. "Huh?"

"Avulsed. It's when the entire tooth, including the root, is ripped from the gum and jaw bone."

I cringed.

"What about the two that are crooked?" queried Jasper.

"I think I might be able to save them. He'll be on a liquid diet and then soft foods for a few weeks while his gums heal and the remaining teeth stabilize. After that, he should be able to chew as long as there's no damage to his molars."

"Poor bastard," muttered Jasper.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"Aro?" called Felix. "How is my comrade, Demetri? Has he awakened yet?"

"_Dottor _Cullen?" intoned Aro, deferring to Dad.

He stood up and walked down the stairs. He pushed his fidgeting hands into his pant pockets. He was nervous.

_Shit. How bad was it? And, what would Aro do to us…to me, if Dad couldn't fix him._

"He remains…unconscious, but the bleeding has stopped and he's breathing on his own," Dad relayed carefully.

"His nose? Can you repair it?" Felix persisted.

Dad nodded slowly. "Yes, I believe I can re-set the bone, but he'll need plastic surgery to straighten it properly. That's not my field of expertise," he clarified, before Aro or Felix could ask the next logical question.

"Enough talk," proclaimed Aro. "You three," he pointed at me, Jasper and Felix, "Get the camp erected before it gets dark."

Felix snapped to attention, nodding his acceptance of Aro's orders.

"Lieutenant and _Senore _Cullen, there will be no attempts by either of you to overcome my _soldato_. I may not appear armed, but I am, and _I_ am the one who taught my _figlia_ everything she knows. I will mete out discipline for disobedience or misdeeds. Your wife would not like that, I feel," he added slyly." His eyes glittered as he stared at me intently. "Do you understand me, Lieutenant?" he asked softly.

He'd threatened to discipline Bella for _any_ of _my_ transgressions – real or perceived. I understood him perfectly.

I felt sick. "Yes, Aro, I understand."

"Good. I thought you might."

…

The chopper arrived at 7.30 that night. Jasper, Felix, and I headed to the beach with flashlights to unload it. Dad stayed behind in the house with our women, Aro and Jane. There was no way any of us would leave our wives alone with the Volturi.

My leg was killing me as we hurried along the sandy path to the beach. Setting up the Volturi camp had taken another two hours. Aro had some pretty sweet field tents, though, and I wouldn't mind it, if he somehow left them behind. They'd brought with them a new experimental canopy that was embedded with solar panels, making their campsite self-powering. That meant they didn't need to bring along a heavy, unwieldy generator. I knew the Army had been considering them for use in the Middle East.

We jogged onto the beach just as the Sikorsky touched down. It's floodlights lit up the area, so we switched off our flashlights. The pilot slid open the door from the inside as we instinctively bent over and approached below the whirring rotor blades. I assumed, since the pilot hadn't shut down the chopper that he wasn't planning on staying.

"Diego," Felix yelled over the noise, "Did everything go as planned?"

The swarthy, stocky Diego with his thick, black unibrow yelled back. "Yes! Some of the equipment requests sent Elias into hysterics, but he came through in the end. That's partly why I'm so late getting back."

"Start unloading," Felix, told us, pointing into the chopper.

Diego handed Felix a thick FedEx package. My curiosity was peaked as I climbed into the chopper to wheel out the hi-tech portable X-ray system. It thankfully came with its own handcart. A large metal trunk was next, followed by a small cooler box. That was it – there was nothing else.

Diego waved us away as he shut the chopper's door and then he was lifting off, flying in a westerly direction. My instincts had been right.

Jasper drove the X-ray cart, while Felix and I carried the two stacked boxes. They were heavier than they looked and my bruised leg was crumbling under the hours of strain I'd subjected it to. I needed my own icepack.

"Bring the equipment into my office," Dad said when we entered the house. He held the door wide open.

We followed him in. Demetri lay unconscious on the examination bed. His head and torso were elevated and his mouth was open to assist his breathing. His nose and eyes were darkly bruised. Dad and Bella had cleaned the blood away, except for some fresh droplets that had pooled in the opening of his nostrils. Dad had him hooked up to a compact machine that recorded heart rate, pulse and other vital signs.

"What's that," I said, pointing to the machine. I'd never really noticed it before.

Dad looked up, slightly distracted as he opened the cooler box. "My portable defibrillator. Remember, I told you I had one installed on Victory. It also monitors vital signs."

I _did_ remember, now that he'd reminded me. I _remember_ all of the extra equipment had added up to a higher cost for Victory's refurbishment. I was grateful for all of the extras now, especially Dad's portable oxygen generator. It had saved Bella's life when she almost drowned. Without it, she probably would have died, and I wouldn't be married to her with our first child on the way.

"Do you need me anymore, Dad," Jasper asked. "I'd really like to check on Alice and grab something to eat."

"No, go ahead." Jasper left the room. "Edward, go and get cleaned up and eat something. Could you tell Bella I'm going to need her help in about an hour?"

I glanced toward the door where Felix filled the aperture, watching and listening attentively.

"Sure, Dad. Um, where are Aro and Jane?" I shot a side-glance to Felix as I asked.

Dad looked up from the cooler box he was emptying. It was full of drugs in tiny bottles. Dad opened his small medical refrigerator and loaded them in, lining them up precisely on the shelves. He left one bottle out on his desk and opened the larger metal trunk, and removed a sealed syringe pack, a bunch of tubing, and an IV bag.

"I haven't seen either of them since Jane returned from her '_reconnaissance_'." He made air quotes around the word. "I assume they are in their camp tent." He tossed me a box containing some pills. "Give two of those to Emmett, they're strong painkillers. Don't leave the box with him – I don't want him self-medicating."

Dad headed toward the door. "Felix, stay with Demetri, please, I'll be back shortly."

He moved into the room, taking a seat in Dad's visitors chair in front of the desk.

"Edward, bring the hat stand in the foyer to Larry's room for me, will you?"

Dad disappeared up the stairs before I could respond. With a final glance at Felix who was watching his unconscious friend, I followed Dad, grabbing the item he requested. When I got to Larry's room, Dad was setting up an IV for Larry, who was sleeping restlessly, propped up against his pillows. He looked like hell, severely bruised and swollen.

"Put the stand by the bed. Don't forget to tell Bella I need her." Dad hung the IV bag and filled a syringe.

"I won't. What are you giving him?" I asked curiously.

"Morphine in a saline drip – he needs fluids as well as pain relief."

I sighed. How did we come to this? The day began with such promise, and now, it had all turned to shit. Two of our family were seriously injured and we were basically being held prisoner in our own home by the crime lord of Honolulu.

I fisted my sweaty, filthy hair, completely devoid of ideas for a way out of our current predicament. We were outgunned by the Volturi. Our weapons were hidden and Aro appeared to have many soldiers with him and unlimited resources. I was afraid to do anything else to aggravate him with Mom, Bella, and Rose pregnant, and two of us effectively out of commission.

"Dad, what are we gonna do?" I whispered. I desperately needed the benefit of my father's wisdom.

Dad sighed heavily and adjusted the IV flow. He stood up when Larry's features relaxed, as the morphine did its job.

"I don't know, son." His hand clasped my shoulder, squeezing comfortingly. "I do know that we need to find a peaceful way out of this, if at all possible. There is too much at stake for us to go off half-cocked without a plan."

"We have the weapons and the dynamite." I spoke quietly, mindful of Felix' presence in the house.

"Yes, I thought of that, but there's no way for you to retrieve it safely. It might appear as though we can wander around this house and the compound, going about our business, but we're being watched constantly."

I huffed, aggravated by the futility of our situation. "Yeah, I know. I think Jazz and I could sneak away through the laundry door, but we'd be at least an hour, maybe longer. I'm afraid that Aro or Jane would notice our absence."

"Yes. Jane, in particular, has the heightened attention of a circling vulture." Dad shuddered. "_She _would definitely notice."

I chewed on my bottom lip, thinking. "We could go during the night when they think we're sleeping. I don't see Aro taking guard duty, and Jane and Felix would need to split the nightshift, since they need to sleep sometime."

"It's possible, Edward. Talk to your brothers, but don't do _anything_ without talking to me first. Now, I need to go and see about Demetri before Felix comes looking for me."

Dad made his way to the door.

"Dad?"

He turned around. "Yes?"

"Will he live?"

Dad paused. "I don't know." And, then he was gone.

…

I detoured via my room before going to see Emmett. Bella was lying in our bed, sleeping. She woke up, as I kneeled on the side of the mattress. I really wanted to lie down with her, but she was clean, and I was filthy. I settled for sitting beside her, instead.

"Hi," she greeted me softly, sleepily.

Her hand came up to stroke my face. I turned my head to kiss the palm of her hand – the one that Demetri tried to burn. The skin was a little pinker than normal, but there was no sign of any blistering, and she didn't appear to be discomforted by my touch.

"Hi, yourself. How are you doing?"

She sat up to lean against the headboard. "I'm fine." She huffed, "well, as fine as can be expected. What about you? You look tired." She picked up my hand and brought it to rest between her covered breasts.

I immediately felt soothed. I raked my other hand through my hair. "Yeah, I am." I could hear the tiredness and defeat in my voice.

"We _will_ get out of this, Edward," she told me. Her voice was resolute and confident. "I have absolute faith in you, your brothers, and your father. None of you will let _anything_ happen to us."

I felt like crying. Her faith in me was suddenly overwhelming to my stressed psyche. I wish I felt as confident about our situation and safe outcome, as she was.

It was only when Bella reached up to wipe a tear from my cheek that I realized I'd succumbed to the emotion. She gathered me close to her and wrapped her comforting arms around my body. Burying my face in her neck, I allowed myself the luxury of being less than strong for a few moments as I held onto her, letting my tears fall unchecked. I wouldn't be able to bear it if something happened to Bella because of my actions. She and our baby were my life, now. Nothing was more important to me than them.

There _had _to be a way out of this!

'_Enough!' My inner voice yelled at me, slapping me around the head. 'Don't be a pussy. You're a navy Lieutenant, for fucks sake – well trained, with ample combat experience under your belt. Pull yourself together, man!'_

I shook my head, as I pulled back. _'Fuck off!'_

Bella stiffened. "What!"

My eyes widened. _Christ. I'd said it aloud._

"No, not you, Bella! I was arguing with my inner voice," I mumbled, embarrassed.

She frowned, then shrugged. "Well that's okay, then. You tell him to take a hike if he's not going to say anything helpful."

I studied her curiously. She giggled, as she watched me watching her.

"Um, Bella, most people would be worried if their husband heard voices in his head, let alone one who answered."

She giggled again, and stroked my face. "Well I'm _not_ most people, and how do you know I don't have conversations with my own subconscious?"

She winked and grinned as my mouth dropped open in shock. Leaning forward, she kissed my parted lips, sliding her tongue against the sensitive inner membranes, leaving me disappointed when she pulled back.

"Let me up, I heard the helicopter arrive. Did we get the medical supplies?" I nodded. "Okay, then Carlisle is going to need my help."

I stood up and helped her from the bed, steadying her when she swayed slightly. I frowned. Was she well enough to assist Dad? She should be resting. I said as much, but she waved off my concern.

"I'm fine, Edward. I _am_ tired, but, so is Carlisle, and he needs my help with Demetri's surgery."

I opened my mouth to object. She held a finger to my lips.

"Edward, you _know_ he needs my help."

"Yes, he said he'd need you in about an hour. That was…" (I checked my watch) "About 40 minutes ago."

"Okay, I'll go down shortly."

She pulled on a pair of poly cotton shorts and brushed her hair into a ponytail, winding it around itself into a tidy bun. She secured it with the wooden pins she'd received for Christmas.

"Has Carlisle been to see to Larry?"

"Yes. He set up an IV drip and gave him some morphine, before I came in here. He seems to be resting more comfortably."

"Okay, well, get cleaned up, baby, and…" She was distracted by the box of pills I'd dropped onto the side table. "What are those?"

"Painkillers for Emmett. Dad told me to give him two."

She picked up the small box and read the label. "I'll do that while you get cleaned up. Then you can visit with him." She leaned up to kiss my mouth. "I love you, Edward."

"I love you, too."

She opened our bedroom door, turning sideways to blow me a kiss.

"Why aren't you more worried? You're very calm," I remarked wondrously.

She smiled at me sadly. "I _am_ worried, Edward, but I have faith in you, remember. We'll get out of this, you'll see."

She reminded me of Jasper.

…

I knocked on Emmett's door after showering and eating. Rose answered. She looked awful – pale and exhausted with lavender bruises shadowing her eyes.

"Hi, Rose. Is Emmett awake?"

"Yes, come on in. Bella was here a little while ago. He's doing much better now that the stronger painkillers have kicked in."

She left the door open and waddled across the room to sit wearily on the corner of the bed. She really need to get some sleep. I pulled a side chair up to the bed and sat down. Emmett opened his eyes. They were bright and unfocused.

He giggled like a girl. "Hey, there, little brother, how's it hangin'?" He seemed to think his pun was hysterical.

I eyed him curiously. "I'm fine, Emmett, how are you?"

He chortled. "Couldn't be better, Edward. I'm simply pee-chee."

What the…_Was he high?_

"Rose, how long has been like this?"

"Not long. At least he's not moaning anymore."

"How many painkillers did Bella give him?"

"Just two, why?"

I gestured to him. "Don't you think he's a bit…loopy if he's only had two?"

She frowned, getting off the bed to look down at him. He was still giggling and drawing pictures in the air with his fingers. That, or he was conducting a symphony.

An awful thought caused a sinking feeling in my gut. "Um, Bella didn't leave the pills behind, did she?"

"Yeah, she left one strip. They're on the side table…" She trailed off when she didn't immediately see them. We searched the table, coming up empty from amongst the clutter. "They're not here," she confirmed.

_Could this day get any worse! _

I pinched the bridge of my nose, immediately wishing I hadn't, when pain shot through my healing bone. I hissed, as I let go and rubbed my forehead, which was now throbbing with referred pain. The sick sensation churned in my stomach. I was seriously thinking about taking one of the pain pills myself, except I was distracted.

Emmett had started singing. We gawked at him as he serenaded us with his own version of Monty Python's the 'Penis Song'. I started laughing after the first verse.

_It's awfully nice to have a penis_

_It's frightfully good to have a dong_

_It's swell to have a stiffy_

_Mine's a dick, a cock, or prong!_

_From the smallest to the largest_

_A winky, cleaver, a pounder,_

_Whatever you've got, love it a lot_

_Cheers, to the world's biggest boner!_

He saluted the air with an imaginary beer. He was definitely high. After the second verse, Rose reached down and covered his mouth with her hand.

"Search the damned covers." Emmett was trying to sing another verse. "_Shut up_, Emmett!" Rose hissed.

I felt under the pillows and along the folds in the blankets. I caught occasional muffled words of the third verse…_use your stick_…_my divine prick…it's not fake…it's my one-eyed snake_.

Rose rolled her eyes at me, as her husband ignored all attempts to shut him up. I was sniggering, as I lifted the bed covers to check between the sheets for the pills.

"_Fuck me!"_ I whispered. I tore my eyes away from my brother's deeply purple junk to stare at Rose, horrified.

She winced. "Yeah, I know. It's pretty bad, but Carlisle said he should be okay, as long as nothing starts to bulge or ooze. We've just got to keep an eye on it."

I was lowering the covers, when Rosalie found the strip of pills. Emmett was half lying on them with his bare butt. She pulled them out and inspected the blister pack. Four pills were missing.

"That sneaky shit!" she spat. "I knew it was too good to be true when he stopped whining for another dose. He helped himself when my back was turned."

I held my hand out, sighing. "Give them to me. I'll check with Dad."

I ran downstairs to the foyer. Felix was sitting on a dining room chair outside of Dad's office. He stared at me, and I stared back, but we didn't speak. I knocked tentatively on Dad's door.

"Yes, what is it?" came his brusque voice.

I leaned closer to the door. "Um, Dad, can I talk to you for a moment? It's…er…it's important."

There was a long silence. "You can open the door, Edward, but don't come in."

"Okay." I swung the door open to stand in the threshold.

Demetri was laid out on the table hooked up to an IV that was, presumably, keeping him hydrated as well as sedated. His vital signs were being monitored by the defibrillator thingy, and an X-ray image was visible on the laptop that came with the machine. I wondered if it came with wireless? If I could get access to my email account, I could contact the navy for help.

Dad had Demetri's nose opened up, picking slivers of bone out of his skull. I felt sick to my stomach. For the second time in less than ten minutes, I tore my eyes away from a gruesome sight. I focused on Dad, instead.

"What is it, Edward?" His tone was curt.

"Um, those pills you gave me to give to Emmett?"

Bella looked up sharply. I grimaced at her apologetically.

"Yes, what about them?"

"Erm, well I gave them to Bella to give to Emmett and I told her the dosage, but I…um…I forgot to tell her not to leave them," I explained hurriedly.

Bella stiffened and stared at me, her eyes appalled above the surgical mask she wore.

Dad sighed deeply and closed his eyes. He seemed to be doing that a lot, lately.

"How many more did he take?"

"Only two, but he's…" I swallowed nervously.

"But, what, Edward! I don't have time to play twenty questions with you."

I gulped. "He's high. He's giggling…and singing."

"Fuck!" Dad muttered. He discarded an instrument into a basin. It clattered tinnily, as metal struck metal. "Edward, you _know_ what Emmett's like with medication. I _never_ let him dose himself, ever!"

I fidgeted uncertainly. I felt my face flush with shame. "Yeah, I know, Dad. I'm _really_ sorry, I just forgot."

Dad's forehead crinkled. He was exhausted and his night of surgery wouldn't be over with Demetri. He still had Larry's injuries to deal with. I felt bad for adding to his worries.

"It's okay, Edward, I should have administered the medication myself. Just give him plenty of water to drink, and something light to eat. Try to keep him awake and talking for a couple of hours, and, for _Christ's sake_, don't let him have any more. Where are the remaining pills?"

I held the strip up. "I have them here."

Dad nodded. "Throw them onto the floor. I'll talk to you later, Edward." I was dismissed. I heard Bella tell Dad she was sorry, as I pulled the door shut behind me.

Felix sniggered. "Get into trouble with daddy, did ya?"

I stalked off. _Fuck you, Felix!_

…

The Volturi stayed for a week – seven days and six nights of purgatory, wondering what Aro would do to us, and when they would leave.

We were watched constantly, and Jasper and I were made to work for the Volturi, as we searched for more tiki gold. A few times we wandered near to the grotto, but thankfully they never found it. I had a heart attack moment, when Felix came upon the abandoned cooler box of soiled linens, and my backpack on the path.

"Why is this here?" Felix demanded.

I stiffened nervously. "It's mine. I'd been camping with Bella, and we were returning home when we heard your chopper fly overhead. We dropped the box and my pack and ran to the compound."

He eyed me quizzically, disbelief evident on his face. "Why were you camping?"

"They were on their honeymoon," Jasper said quietly.

I stared at him, aghast. _Shut the fuck up, Jasper!_

He nudged me with his elbow. "They went away for a few days for some privacy."

"So, you're newlyweds, are you? How'd you manage that?"

"We had a commitment ceremony," I said quietly.

Felix pondered the information carefully. "So, it's not legal?"

"Yes, it is!" I said forcefully. "We exchanged vows, and we have a certificate to commemorate the occasion."

"Hmm. Well, Aro will be interested in that little tidbit. So will, Alec," he added slyly.

I stiffened, my fists clenching at my sides. I wanted to roar and wail on Felix until he was buried up to his neck in the sandy soil.

"The marriage _will be_ recognized, Felix," Jasper said with confidence. "The Constitution guarantees it."

"The Constitution doesn't include the right to marry," Felix refuted, "and common law marriage isn't legally recognized in the state of Hawaii."

Jasper quirked a brow of surprise at Felix' knowledge. He wasn't quite as dumb as he projected.

"No, you're right, but the Constitution _does_ include the right to enter into a contract. Consent to marry between two people is a matter of contract, and contractual rights are created by the community, even if it is a 'community' of only two persons."

Felix opened his mouth to argue, but Jasper talked over him. I loved my brother's fascination with history and the constitution. I smirked smugly at Felix.

_Go, Jasper!_

"And, since the community is normally a larger state, and all legal contracts are agreements between the contracting parties, as well as the entire community, the _community_ has the power to regulate marriage, for the benefit of that community."

Felix fumed. "Oh, now, you're just grasping at straws." He was beginning to look confused.

Jasper shook his head. "Nope, it's in the Constitution. Look it up, if you don't believe me. We have formed a community here on _Isabella Island_. The marriage was solemnized by the patriarch of our community, it was witnessed by all members of the community, and it has been recorded for posterity in the records of the community. A certificate of marriage has been signed, witnessed, and presented to the couple. It's legal."

Felix stomped away, a scowl spreading across his face.

I grinned from ear to ear. "Why didn't you tell me?" I whispered to Jazz, as we followed more slowly. We'd pick up the abandoned gear on the way home.

"I didn't want to get your hopes up. I had to refer to one of the encyclopedias to be sure, because my memory was a bit sketchy. I'm not a lawyer, Edward, but I'm as certain as I can be. I…um…I wanted to do something for you that would make up for my behavior. I read up on it while you were on your honeymoon."

I was touched, and I bumped his shoulder in recognition. "Thanks, man."

…

Emptying the tiki's of their gold coins was easy. Carting it back to the compound was not. It was hot, sweaty work. Each tiki contained approximately 20,000 gold coins, according to the electronic coin scales the Volturi brought with them. Each of the five bags we filled, weighed in at about 23 kilograms. Carting 115 kilograms back to camp in the wheelbarrow was akin to carrying two Bella's – one on my back and one in my arms.

We emptied one tiki per day for the first three days following the Volturi's arrival. Aro called for the helicopter to come and ferry Jasper, Felix and I to the northern camp to empty the third tiki we'd found. I might have tried to overpower the pilot had I known how to fly a chopper. Since I didn't, I discarded plan B as suicidal and moved on to plan C, except I had no idea what that was. Plan A had been to retrieve the guns and the dynamite, but Dad, Jazz, Emmett, and I had discarded that plan as impractical.

When we got back to camp, we carted the ten gold bags to the helicopter to join the five we'd just brought back, and it flew off to rendezvous with the ship that had moved from the fishing village, and which was now anchored just outside the reef off the southern beach.

It was fucking enormous – bigger than MORTE – and I was certain it contained far more weaponry. It was about two-thirds the size of an Arleigh Burke class destroyer at roughly 336 feet from bow to stern. We watched the Sikorsky land on the rear flight deck.

No wonder Aro wanted the gold, he needed to shore up his lifestyle and expensive taste. That ship cost so much money, I couldn't even fathom where he got it from. I estimated its cost, including weaponry, at $1.5 billion dollars.

Jazz and I exchanged incredulous glances.

"Do you see how outgunned you are?" Felix stated softly.

I glared at him, and turned my back on the ship to begin the walk home. I moved on to plan Z, ignoring everything else in between. Except, there was _no _fucking plan Z.

We were screwed, pure and simple, and there wasn't a damned thing I could do about it.

…

Jasper and I collapsed onto the living room sofa's when our work for the day was done. I laid with my arm over my eyes, trying to calm my breathing. I heard bare footsteps padding into the room. Someone sat down on the large square ottoman.

I opened my eyes – it was Larry.

"Hi, Meester Re-ed." With some of his teeth missing, he spoke with a pronounced impediment.

"Hi, Larry. How are you feeling today?" I sat up on the sofa.

"Gooood. Meesers Ez-may made me a Milo and bah'nahnah smooth-ee – it was ree-lee gooood."

"That's great, Larry. Open up – let's have a look."

Larry opened his mouth. His lips and cheeks were reddened and swollen. Dad had been able to implant the three avulsed teeth I'd found, and save the two crooked teeth, but his two, top front teeth were missing – those were the ones he'd swallowed. Dad had stitched the gum closed and braced the damaged teeth with wire to stabilize them.

He closed his mouth and swiveled on the footstool. "Doo ya wah-nah see, Meester Jazz-sper?"

Jasper sat up. "Sure, Larry." He looked into his mouth. "Doctor Pops does good work, Larry. You'll be good as new in no time."

He nodded enthusiastically. "Doc-ter Pop-ps say I can geet noo teef when we get back to Huh-why-ee."

"Excellent!" Jazz said, fist-bumping Larry. He grinned. It was kind of grotesque.

"Meesers Ez-may say dee-ner near-ree red-dee."

"Okay, tell Mom we'll be right there, Larry," I said.

"'Kay." He was off like a shot, scuttling into the dining room.

"Do you think his speech will improve?" Jasper asked me, as we walked upstairs to wash up for dinner.

I shrugged. "Not sure, really, but Dad seems to think the impediment will settle down once his teeth stabilize and the swelling subsides."

When we walked into the dining room, the rest of the family was already there. Emmett was lowering himself gingerly onto a dining room chair. His condition had improved with rest and ice, but he was still tender to the touch. He didn't remember singing the 'penis song', and Jasper rolled around on the floor when I told the story and recited the song for their benefit. Emmett blushed scarlet and showed us the finger, scowling at me furiously. Rose had to back me up before he'd believe it.

We all avoided Jane like the plague, Emmett especially. If he saw her coming, he scrambled away as swiftly as possible. It would be a very, long time before he forgot the experience.

I kissed Bella as she flittered in and out of the dining room and kitchen. Mom was already seated at the table, looking pale and tired. She'd been vomiting much of the past three days and Dad had made her stay in bed. Bella came in and placed a modest bowl of pureed vegetable soup before her and a basin of soup in front of Larry. The rest of us had chunky soup, with bread and lashings of butter.

Before I sat down, I looked out the windows in case any of the Volturi were lurking about. They had a disquieting habit of moving silently, appearing without our noticing. The coast was clear.

"The Volturi's ship has anchored outside the reef from our beach," I told the family quietly. "It's enormous and rivals the navy's destroyers in size and weaponry."

"I was afraid of that," said Dad. "Aro's ego is huge. He wouldn't assign a ship to an employee that was bigger than his."

My brothers and I snorted.

"How does he manage to sail around the ocean in a destroyer without anyone noticing," Mom asked, shocked.

"Well, it's not illegal, Mom," I answered. "As long as the ship is registered somewhere in the world, he can sail it anywhere in international waters."

"What about the weapon's, though, aren't those illegal?" Rose said.

I shrugged thoughtfully and ate a spoonful of soup. It was good. "Well, as long as they're only used for defensive purposes, he can probably get away with it. I mean, apart from the US and Australia, and maybe Indonesia, who else in Pacific Oceania has the fire power or money to stop him."

"Yeah, and they'd have to catch him, first," added Alice. "He seems like a wily bastard to me. He probably bribes government officials to ignore his comings and goings."

Things had settled down somewhat between Alice and the family. We had bigger fish to fry at the moment, and Mom had inferred to Bella that she and Alice had talked for some time these past few days and cleared the air a little. All was not forgiven, but inroads had been made in repairing their relationship.

"That seems likely." Jasper agreed with his wife's assessment. "He obviously has someone in Kiritimati in his pocket, otherwise we'd never have gotten the medical supplies as quickly as we did."

Dad nodded. "Yes, Doctor Elias. He's the deputy Minister for Health in the Kiribati government, but he governs from Kiritimati. His signature approved a requisition I made for two medical-grade oxygen bottles I purchased when we refueled there.

I blinked in surprise. "I thought you got those bottles in Honolulu?"

He shook his head. "No. I purchased the oxygen generator in Honolulu, but I hadn't ordered the bottles. We decided on the cruise so quickly, I didn't have a chance to get them, so I called ahead to Kiritimati. They were ready for me when we got there."

"What do you think Aro's gonna do with us?" asked Emmett.

No one answered. We simply didn't have any idea. We ate in silence until everyone had finished their soup.

"Any idea what's in the FedEx package?" Jasper asked me.

Dad looked up, startled. "What package?"

"Diego brought Aro a thick FedEx package when he returned from Kiritimati with the medical supplies. He gave it to Felix."

"Hmm. Interesting," said Dad.

"Who do you think it's from?" I asked, curious to hear Dad's opinion. I'd wracked my brains trying to figure out what it might have been, and who'd sent it, but I'd come up empty.

"No idea," he said, "but it's obviously important if Aro had it expressed to him while at sea."

Larry looked up from his soup basin. He'd made annoying slurping sounds between his teeth as he'd eaten.

"Eeet's fwom hees lore-yer."

We all blinked and turned to stare at him.

Mom patted his hand from her seat beside him, smiling at him sweetly. "How do you know it's from his lawyer, Larry?"

"Meester Ah-row meek mee cween up dare wubb-eesh."

An excited tingle crawled down my spine. We may just have gotten the break we were looking for.

"Where is the rubbish, Larry?" I asked him.

"On dah dump, near dah go-ats."

My eyes widened. Shit, Jezebel! That bitch will eat anything and she was roaming about the compound on a long lead rope. I jumped up from the table.

"Come on, Larry, we've got some trash to take out."

…

We walked nonchalantly to the rubbish dump, which was really our compost heap, carrying a bucket of peelings from the kitchen. Jezebel was stretching her neck out trying to put her head through the fence to Mom and Bella's garden. I whistled to her sharply and held up the bucket of kitchen trash. She trotted behind us eagerly, ready for her dinner. We walked into the goat pen and I handed the pail to Larry. Her kids were asleep on the ground in the corner.

"You feed her, Larry. I'm going to make my way over to the fence near the shelter. Whistle if the Volturi come over here."

He stared at me and scrunched his face, baring his teeth to me. Oh, right, no front teeth.

"Sorry, tap on the bucket, instead."

"'Kay."

I pottered around the pen casually. I picked up the shovel and starting scooping droppings into a large woven, grass basket, working my way toward the shelter. There was one spot at the back where we'd left it open to encourage air circulation. It couldn't be seen from the compound. When I reached the place, I sidled through the gap and vaulted over the fence, bending low as I ran to the compost heap.

It stunk to high heaven. Heat was rising off the rotting vegetation and insects swarmed around it. It was gross. I looked around for something to dig with, realizing too late that I should have brought the shovel with me. I tore off a couple of large leafs from a taro plant and dropped to my knees to begin digging. Insects flew up my nose and clung to my lips. I kept making putting sounds to clear them from my mouth. Ugh!

_Fuck! Where the hell is it?_

I was about to give up, when I glimpsed the distinctive purple and orange logo. Yes! Pulling it out of the muck, I wiped it off with some clean leaves and checked the return address. It said:

Vladimir and Weinberg

Attorneys at Law

I folded the stiff, cardboard envelope with difficulty and shoved it down the front of my jeans, pulling my t-shirt down. Throwing the leaves I'd used onto the heap, I used my feet to kick the compost back into a heap and inspected my shoes with disgust. I'd have to wash my sneakers. I quickly wiped them off against some long grass and vaulted back over the fence and through the gap. Picking up the shovel and the basket, I made my way out of the shelter, still scooping droppings to support the pretense I'd started.

"I'm back, Larry," I whispered. 'Let's go."

"'Kay."

…

We entered the house without being stopped by the Volturi. Lights were on in their tent and I saw Aro sitting in the window. He was using his satellite phone. What I wouldn't give to get my hands on that phone and the decryption code.

His tent was luxuriously appointed inside for a field tent, but then again, knowing what I now do about Aro, I wouldn't have expected him to slum it like his soldiers. They were housed in smaller, less select accommodation. Jane shared the luxury tent with her father.

I was glad that Aro was snooty enough to have brought his lavishness with him, otherwise I think he would have moved into our house and kicked us out into the elements. As it was, he treated Alice and Bella like maids, expecting them to pick up after him three times per day and cook for him.

They did it without argument, and Jasper, Dad, or I always went with them, but their meals came out of our kitchen. Dad drew the line with Aro on that. The girls would not be expected to cook for Aro at his campsite. Felix came to collect the food at pre-determined times, but otherwise, only Aro ever wandered into the house since that first day.

"Did you find it?" Jasper's face was eager with anticipation.

"Yes." I went to sit down, pulling the folded envelope from my pants.

"Go and wash up, both of you," Mom ordered.

I passed the FedEx wrapper to Jasper and followed Larry into the kitchen, dumping my sneakers in the laundry.

"What do you think?" I asked when we returned.

Bella was dishing up dessert of baked custard and stewed fruit. Dad was holding the FedEx envelope. A deep V had formed on his forehead as he considered it.

"It's definitely a law firm – I've heard of them. They're based in Honolulu and they have smaller offices on the mainland – LA and New York, I think," Dad said.

I had a scary thought. We didn't need any more trouble. "Do you think it contained Intel about Vivi or MORTE – they're both in custody."

"It's possible. I think Aro would want his ship back, even if he weren't concerned about Vivi. It must have cost a lot of money," he remarked.

I snorted. "Yeah, I'll say. I reckon it's worth something in the region of half a billion dollars." I waved my arm towards the beach. "Aro's destroyer out there is worth three times that amount."

Mom gasped. "That's more money than some small countries have."

I nodded. "Yeah, I know. We're up against some serious money and power. I can't understand how he's stayed under the radar. Now, Jane, I've heard of, and I've seen Demetri somewhere, but I can't put my finger on where."

"Do you think there might be somebody else behind Aro?" Emmett posed.

I exhaled audibly as I considered. "I suppose it's possible, but he doesn't seem like the type to take orders. He's too arrogant."

"I agree," chorused Dad and Jasper. I laughed.

Bella took hold of my hand. "Edward, you said you've heard of Jane before?" I nodded. "Tell us about that."

"Okay. Jane goes by the surname, Sicario. I don't know why – maybe it's her mother's maiden name and she uses it to hide her connection to her father. Anyway, she's, erm, she's a known assassin. She's on multiple _Most Wanted_ lists in Europe and the USA."

The women paled.

"Good, God!" Dad gasped.

He flipped the envelope into the middle of the table and cradled his head in his hands. A piece of paper slid partway out of the opening. My eyes zeroed in on it, and I reached out and pulled the envelope toward me.

"There's something in here," I whispered. I slid the single page all the way out. It was a sheet of letterhead typically used by businesses and professional firms. I read it with trepidation.

"What does it say?" Bella asked quietly.

I looked up and stared intently at my father.

"You might as well read it, Edward," he said.

I cleared my throat. "It's…ahem…it's dated the 28th of January and it says:

'_Aro, _

_MORTE has been released from Navy custody due to lack of evidence. Victoria Vincent is still being held on another, unrelated matter. Will leave her in custody, as requested, however, the Australian government has petitioned for her extradition. _

_The background report you requested last week on the Cullen's and Isabella Swan is enclosed. _

_Regards, Vlad.' _

That's it." I dropped the sheet of paper onto the table.

Dad's eyebrows rose into his hairline. "Somewhat helpful, while at the same time, perplexing. Why would Aro procure background checks on us?"

"I don't know," I said, "but I have a feeling we're going to find out."

…

Five days following the Volturi's arrival, I was feeding the pigs. It wasn't quite daylight yet, but I couldn't sleep, so I got up and started my day in the pleasant coolness of the morning. It was February 1st and the weather was warming up again as the dry season began to give way to the wet.

Felix nodded to me as I walked down the front steps, but he didn't stop me. He and Jane had fallen into a routine, of sorts, when it came to nighttime guard duty. She took the dusk 'til midnight shift and he took the midnight 'til dawn shift.

Demetri was still out of commission having suffered a serious concussion when I shattered his nose. It had been touch and go there for a few days, while he hovered between waking up or sinking into a coma. Dad had been able to remove the bone fragments laying precariously close to his brain, and he positioned the larger pieces of nose bone and cartilage into the correct positions (more or less).

However, he told Aro that Demetri would need specialized surgery that Dad was unable to provide with his limited resources and qualifications. He kept repeating to Aro, that he was NOT a plastic surgeon. Demetri began to wake up after the third day, finally floating back to lucidness yesterday evening. Dad kept him sedated, because of the pain and the fragility of his nose.

"Lieutenant?"

I spun around. It was Aro. Shit, he was like a cat. You didn't hear him until he was pouncing.

I nodded curtly. "Aro."

"It's a fine morning for a walk, do you not agree?"

I shrugged. "I suppose." What did he want?

"Walk with me, Lieutenant. I wish to discuss a business matter with you."

My eyes widened and I stared doubtfully at Aro. I glanced nervously toward the dark second level of the house. The family was still sleeping.

"We will not be long, Lieutenant, I assure you. You'll be perfectly safe, as will your family."

My eyes narrowed warily at Aro. "Alright."

"Good." He gestured in the direction of the beach. "Shall we?"

I nodded uncertainly.

"Felix, stay here. I will be back within the hour. Ensure that no harm comes to any of the Cullen's."

He clicked his heels. "_Sì,_ Aro."

…

Aro's POV

Young Lieutenant Cullen has so much to learn, I mused as we walked in silence.

I wish to acquire his skills. His instincts are excellent, as are his fighting skills. He'd been able to fell Demetri, after all, and with only two punches. The report on Edward was thorough, though not as informative as I would have liked it to be – classified information is so irritatingly difficult to come by, even for me. However, it did list his career achievements and hinted at talents that tantalized me with endless possibilities for how to use them.

I could have killed the Lieutenant for his actions, but Demetri is expendable and oftentimes, rather annoying. I only keep him around because he's my cousin's nephew, and, because Jane insists on fucking him. If I hadn't been curious, I would never have offered my assistance. My own instincts were proven right, yet again, and two were within my grasp.

My own infallibility astounds me.

The protectiveness young Cullen showed for his '_wife_' was admirable. Felix had informed me of the conversation between him and the brothers about Edward's marriage to the _principessa_. Jasper Cullen may be right, though it would be interesting to challenge his hypothesis in a court of law.

Perhaps, I'll have _Senore_ Weinberg look into it.

I have decided to leave the Cullen's and Laurence here on _Isabella Island_, as they've so sweetly named it. Provided, that is, that the Lieutenant and the good _Dottor_ agree to my terms. If not, well, disposing of them will be no great hardship, though, I'll grieve for the loss of their gifts. I mourn the need for such a decisive action for the _donne incinte_, however, one must do, what one must do in order to thrive.

I have not reached my level of phenomenal riches and success by being sentimental. Even my son is expendable, and his time on this earth is limited if he does not toe the line. His foibles and sexual peccadilloes disgust me. I believe the Lieutenant has pegged him as the sexual predator my son has shown himself to be.

Perhaps, I'll leave Alec here, and let the Lieutenant dispose of him, like he did James Hunter. We did not find the body, but my instincts tell me that his demise is a certainty. Threats to the Cullen women appear to be dealt with decisively. Alec's fall would solve so many problems for me, and young Cullen's indebtedness would be a happy bonus.

Hmm, what to tell Sulpicia? My beloved Sally is blind to Alec' faults. I don't know where he gets it from – it's certainly not from my DNA. Jane is no problem. She despises her twin.

I can see the Lieutenant becoming aggravated by my continued silence. Good. He is more likely to agree to my terms if he is off his guard. With proper training, his instincts will be honed and his propensity for rashness subdued.

Yes, his distinctiveness will be added to my family. I will make him my own.

"Lieutenant?"

His head jerked around. "What?" he snarled, baring his teeth at me.

"Temper your tone, when you address me, Lieutenant! My patience is not without its boundaries."

His eyes flickered and he remained silent, staring me down. I liked his chutzpah, just not in relation to me.

"Apologize."

He scowled and gritted his teeth.

"Would you like to hear my proposition, or not, Lieutenant? I don't have all day, and you may regret your lost opportunity on Sunday."

He frowned. "What's happening on Sunday?"

"We are leaving. We have searched this island thoroughly for more tiki's. Jane has located two more in the east. You and your brother, Jasper, will go with Felix tomorrow and retrieve the gold."

There was more gold here – the plates and cups they've already found proved that – but, alas, there is no sign of it. We will return another time to search. For now, I am needed elsewhere and my coffers have increased by several million dollars.

"Alright." He appeared pleased that we were leaving.

"I am waiting for your apology, Lieutenant. My patience is running thin."

His jaw clenched and his teeth ground together audibly. I smirked at him. He was incensed by the necessity to kowtow to me if he wanted vital information.

"I apologize, Aro." I waved him on. "For my tone in addressing you. It won't happen again."

"Good. Now, let us sit on that outcropping of rocks over there, Lieutenant, and watch the sun rise while we talk."

We climbed the rocks on the eastern side of the beach where they jutted out into the water, perching comfortably facing east.

"Do you have questions for me, Lieutenant?"

He glanced at me quizzically. I could see the cogs turning in his head as he considered what he might ask and what I might tell him.

"Are you going to kill us?"

"Perhaps. Next question."

He rubbed his hands along denim-clad thighs. "Will you take us with you?"

"One of you, unless you agree to my proposal."

He stiffened. Yes, very good, Edward. You already know who the 'one' is. Smart boy. He asked his next question, using great restraint to voice it politely

"What is your proposal, Aro?"

"I wish to acquire your talents, Edward. May I call you by your given name?"

He would not refuse me, I knew he wouldn't, but I felt like playing with him. He nodded.

"I wish to acquire your talents, Edward. I wish for you to join my little organization. You are exactly what I am looking for and your connection to naval intelligence is a lovely bonus."

He was stunned by my proposal, blinking reflexively. He was _not _expecting that. His shock impeded his ability to formulate a response.

"I have a job, Aro."

"Yes, indeed you do, and you shall retain your position with the navy. Your role within my organization would be, shall we say, part-time."

"What would you expect of me?" he asked quietly.

I shrugged. "Many things. Procurement, intelligence…garbage disposal."

He flinched, but didn't immediately disregard my offer. He was thinking fast and furious.

"What's in it for me? Where is my incentive to agree to your proposal?"

The sun came up over the horizon. "Ah, is not the sunrise beautiful?"

"Yes," he clipped out.

"What is your incentive, hmm? Well, that would be your continued good health, Edward, and that of your family."

"I thought so," he muttered.

I almost had him. Another moment and he'd be mine. I felt giddy with excitement.

"How do you know that I won't work against you, Aro, and how am I to work for you if I'm stuck on this island?"

I smiled. Now, we were getting to the crux of our arrangement.

"I know you will not work against me, Edward, because if you do, I _will_ kill your wife and children. They are safe from me and mine, as long as _you_ are also mine."

He gulped visibly. "And, if I refuse your proposal outright?"

"Ah, I'm glad you asked, Edward."

I stood and climbed off the outcropping of rocks to the sand. Edward followed me – reluctantly – but he was compelled to know the answer.

"If you do not agree to my proposal, then when I leave here on Sunday, your wife and unborn child will be coming with me, and you will _never_ see them again."

His eyes glittered with hatred. I had him.

"Do you agree?"

"Yes," he growled.

I nodded. "I am delighted you've agreed, Edward. I will return before the end of the year to collect you and your family." I turned my back to leave. I was confident he would not attack me – he had too much to lose.

"Wait, Aro!"

I turned around. "Yes, Edward?"

"Why a year? Why not now?"

"I have other obligations to see to, Edward. Your early arrival in Hawaii would interfere with those plans, so you will remain here until I'm ready for you."

He eyed me thoughtfully. Already, Edward was trying to figure out what I was up to.

"Practice restraining your rashness in the meantime, Edward…it's likely to get you killed."

I hummed a happy tune as I returned to the compound. Edward remained on the beach, fuming. I could feel his eyes boring into my back.

One down, one to go.

I checked my watch. Ah, I've got time to speak with the good _Dottor_ before my breakfast. I was going to miss the _principessa's _cooking.

…

**End Notes:**

**Blog:** Photos for the chapter are on my blog at jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com. I have included some images of a second-degree burn to the hand caused by hot candle wax, and a mouth with avulsed teeth, so **if you're squeamish, skip the blog**. You have been warned.

Also on my blog is an article from UK magazine – _Men's Health_ on taking a kick to the balls. The author's explanation (presumably a man) is rather funny, though I don't suppose any man who has experienced the affliction would agree – and Emmett would shout it from the rooftops if he could utter more than a squeak.

**Citation:** I borrowed a line from Southern Vampire Mysteries as spoken by Sookie Stackhouse when she saved vampire Bill from the drainers. Bella says to Larry during the fight, _"Push with your feet."_

**Italian translation: **Once again, apologies if the Italian translation is not correct. I'm using Google translate.

Aro to Alec during the fight: _Non essere sciocco! __Non farlo di nuovo. Ti avevo avvertito. __Vieni_ = Don't be a fool! You don't do this again. I warned you. Come.

_Capisce _= Understand

_Soldato_ = Soldier

_Donne incinte_ – Pregnant women

**Lexicon:**

A **hand cart** (US) is a type of delivery trolley (Australia and other countries) with two wheels on the back, a flat base and a double spine to support the items (often boxes) being carted. It is pushed or sometimes pulled, using hand grips attached to the spines.

**Surgical towel** – is generally made from woven cotton, and in a hospital situation, would generally be used once, and discarded. Carlisle doesn't have that luxury, so he washes and boils his towels for re-use.

**Gold coin – weight**: I have based the weight for the gold coins on the weight of the US quarter, which is 5.67 grams. There are 1000 grams to 1 kilogram. 1 Kilogram is equal to 2.2 pounds, so 115 kilograms is approximately 253 pounds.

**Disclaimers:**

I am **not**** a medical professional**. All references to medical treatments, equipment, diagnosis, drugs, and use of portable X-ray systems is purely based on my internet research. No reliance should be placed on any medical aspects stated or inferred in this story. I know some of my readers are medical professionals. So if I've gotten anything radically wrong, please feel free to let me know and I'll change it.

**US Constitution** – I read the summary Constitution. I'm not a lawyer, but I do read and interpret legislation in my career. My interpretation is that a marriage is a legal contract under the Constitution. As long as there is consent between the marrying parties and the community they live in, a marriage is fundamentally considered to be a legal contract. For the purposes of this story, I am assuming that Edward and Bella's marriage would be legally recognized, since they have formed a community on _Isabella Island_. If any of my readers are lawyers or Constitutional experts, please feel free to comment or correct any misinformation.

**Kudos:** Kudos to my editor and pre-reader, EsmeCullen47, who came up with the idea for Aro to make a deal with Carlisle in exchange for the Cullen's lives. It was a stroke of genius and presented me with an opportunity to take the story in a direction that I never intended when I began Wrecked a year ago. The new plot direction will likely lead to a sequel once the Cullen's are rescued and return to Hawaii.


	42. Chapter 42 - Double Cross

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thank you to EsmeCullen47 for her editing skills and pre-reading.

So, we are actually coming to the end of Wrecked after more than a year. I think there will be another ten chapters and perhaps an epilogue. Please remember my promise that all of the Cullens will be rescued and that includes Larry. No matter what happens, the Cullens will survive Isabella Island and the Volturi. I have decided to write a sequel which will pick up in Hawaii about three years after their rescue. I don't have a title for it yet, but I have been bouncing plot ideas around with my pre-reader EsmeCullen47.

Also, to anyone who reads Wrecked on TWCS, there was, once again, a 'serious error' reported to me when I uploaded chapter 41. Consequently, Wrecked was not showing up as recently updated. If you haven't read chapter 41, go ahead and read that first.

…

**At the end of chapter 41 … Aro's POV conversation with Edward**

_"Wait, Aro!"_

_I turned around. "Yes, Edward?"_

_"Why a year? Why not now?"_

_"I have other obligations to see to, Edward. Your early arrival in Hawaii would interfere with those plans, so you will remain here until I'm ready for you."_

_He eyed me thoughtfully. Already, Edward was trying to figure out what I was up to._

_"Practice restraining your rashness in the meantime, Edward…it's likely to get you killed."_

_I hummed a happy tune as I returned to the compound. Edward remained on the beach, fuming. I could feel his eyes boring into my back._

_One down, one to go._

_I checked my watch. Ah, I've got time to speak with the good Dottor before my breakfast. I was going to miss the principessa's cooking._

…

Chapter 42 – Double Cross

**EPOV – 1****st**** of February 2013**

_What an asshole!_

Aro was also one scary son of a bitch.

I stood watching him strut away, until he disappeared from view. He was such a fucking egocentric megalomaniac. How his own soldiers hadn't tried to take him out, I'd never know. If I had to work for him I'd be dripping Hawaiian poppy sap into his coffee on a regular basis. I figured it might work like arsenic. You know, build up enough poison in the body until the final dose sends him over the edge and his black heart stops working for good.

_Hmm, now there's an idea…_

When I was certain he was no longer in the vicinity, I spun around and kicked the shit out of the rock cropping, until my feet and legs ached.

_Fuck! How did I get into this mess? _

Aro blackmailed me, that's how! It was either agree to his terms, or lose Bella, my child and possibly my family. I couldn't let that happen, not while I had breath in my body.

_Why the fuck does he want me?_

What could I offer him that he couldn't get from any other asshole with delusions of criminal grandeur? He had Jane, Demetri and Felix, and God only knows who else at his disposal. And what about his reference to continuing my navy career – what was that all about? What information could he possibly think I had access to? I work on a submarine for _Christ sake_, not in the Pentagon.

_Is that his real motive?_

Has he deluded himself into thinking that I might pass classified information to him? Not _fucking_ likely. I'd make shit up before I betrayed my country to an asshole like Aro Volturi.

My eyes narrowed thoughtfully as a suspicion that had teased me for months reared its head once again. Aro had a ship that was effectively a destroyer and it was decked out in military-class weapons. Who was supplying them; or perhaps the better question was, _who_ was authorizing their sale to Aro Volturi?

It had to be someone high up in the Pentagon – someone who had the necessary clout Aro needed. No matter how much money Aro had, he didn't have the power to purchase weapons reserved for the US military, from civilian companies exclusively contracted to the US Government.

Who did he own?

I began running names through my mind – both military and political – of people who might have the power or the connections to help Aro Volturi acquire his weapons: Drexller, Cannard, Stanton, Kittiger, Smythe-Dawson…which one of them was dirty enough to play in the sand pit with Volturi, or who might have fallen to Aro's special brand of blackmail?

I disregarded Admirals Drexller and Stanton immediately – they were both outstanding, high ranking officers with distinguished military careers behind them and enough medals between them to decorate the Time's Square Christmas tree.

Both had reached the rank of Rear Admiral and were due to retire in eighteen months and three years respectively. I had served under both of them in the past ten years. My father played golf with Admiral Drexller, and Admiral Stanton's wife was a social acquaintance of my mother's. Both Admirals and their wives had been guests in my parents' home numerous times over the past 20 years.

No, it wasn't either of them. I felt slightly ashamed that they'd even been on my list.

Davina Smythe-Dawson was civilian, a congresswoman of the State of Massachusetts and married to a cousin of twentieth century America's most famous first family. The family prided themselves on their values and had more money than God – eh, a bit like Aro Volturi – but they were devout Catholics and abhorred scandal with the veracity of a pack of starving wolves. They'd suffered a great deal of loss since the tragic death of a favored son in 1963 and then again decades later, his son in a dreadful plane crash. No, _that_ family would hang her out to dry at the first hint of treason.

Nope, it wasn't Smythe-Dawson. That left Cannard and Kittiger, and I didn't know a lot about either of them.

General Cannard was career army. He graduated from West Point at the top of his class and rose meteorically through the ranks making full General at the age of 49 – one of the youngest ever. He was by all accounts, as tough as nails, but fair and his subordinates followed him loyally. What little I knew of him told me that he was well respected. I didn't think it was him, either.

That left Franklin Kittiger or Frankenstein as he was nicknamed. I sniggered. He had a face only a mother could love. He was a Texas congressman with a lot of power, and was a 'shoot first, ask questions later' kind of person. He often butted heads with the Joint Heads of the armed forces as well as the Pentagon bigwigs. By all accounts he wasn't that well liked and had made more than his fair share of enemies on the hill in Washington DC.

Kittiger was the polar opposite of Cannard, Drexller and Stanton, and not only because he _wasn't_ military. They were trained strategists whereas Kittiger was a loose cannon with more power than was wise in such a politically volatile world.

Yeah, I thought Kittiger might be worth looking into when I got off this effing island! And that was the key to protecting my family…we had to get off this fucking island, or at the very least, we had to convince Aro that what he _wanted_ was no longer available to him.

_Hmm. Maybe I could fake my own death?_

Sighing deeply, I stood up, and I felt so tired all of a sudden, as though the weight of the world rested solely on my shoulders. As I walked back to the compound, I wondered how I was going to tell Bella and my family. I knew that I needed to talk to my father at the earliest opportunity. I wanted to know why Aro was courting him, and I needed to talk to someone about my own dire predicament. Dad might not be a military strategist, but he had maturity and wisdom on his side.

I had so many questions and theories bouncing around my skull, I couldn't think straight.

_There _had_ to be a way out of this!_

…

**Early evening on the 13****th**** of March, 2013: Honolulu**

I let the door to my apartment slam behind me as I entered my home for the first time in six months. I dropped my bag by the door and trudged into the kitchen, pulling a cold beer from the nearly empty fridge. I used the granite countertop to pry off the cap and chugged the cold lager down my parched throat.

Oh, that's good.

It had been so long since I'd been able to indulge that I emptied the long-neck bottle in three swallows. Dropping the empty into the plastic kitchen bin, I let the lid close with a thunk as I reached into the fridge for another. My '_boss_' didn't permit his employees to drink while on duty and being 'on duty' encompassed the entire tour no matter how long it was.

This last tour had been the longest, but the past three years had been incredibly prolonged, and I was tired. I wanted it to be over. I _wanted_ to get back to my regular duties and my life.

My phone buzzed with an incoming text message and I pulled it from my shirt pocket. I'd been expecting the call. To anyone else, the message was gibberish, but I knew exactly what it said. I was expected to report on Friday at 0900.

Dropping the empty second bottle into the bin, I walked around the apartment opening drapes and windows to the balmy sea breeze. My few house plants were long since dead and I picked them up and dropped them into the bin with the empty beer bottles. A thick layer of dust covered every surface and I sneezed violently as the breeze blew dust particles around the musty smelling living room.

Picking up my smart phone from the kitchen counter, I texted my sometimes cleaning lady and asked her to drop by the next day and give the place a thorough going over. That done, I texted the local Italian restaurant and ordered their special lasagna, an enormous salad and a new six-pack of beer. While I waited, I walked into the utility room and opened the tap for the main water supply and then flipped the switch for the hot water service – I'd have hot water in less than 20 minutes.

Picking up my bag, I walked into the bedroom. As I walked around opening drapes and windows and switching on lamps, I thought about the Cullens. They'd faced adversity, and to date they'd triumphed, but for how much longer?

Aro had taken an interest in Lieutenant Cullen and Doctor Cullen for reasons I didn't understand. He let them live – which surprised me – and he told me that he would return within the year to collect them, not that Aro ever felt the need to explain himself. What _did_ surprise me was Aro's abandonment of Alec, his deviant son, and I recalled the details of that fateful day six weeks ago, as I opened my mail.

…

As we powered away from Isabella Island, Aro quietly ordered the captain to find him a deserted atoll that would support life. Twelve hours later, Aro had me pack some clothes, tools and supplies for Alec and the three of us had taken the motor launch into shore. Alec had whined the entire way asking his _Papa_ why they were visiting yet another stupid island.

Not that whining was a new habit for Alec. I'd known him since he was 18 and all he'd ever done was whine like the spoiled brat his mother had raised him to be. Jane despised him and I know now, that Aro did, as well. For the first twelve hours of the cruise, Alec had whined, sulked and pouted, because his father had forbade him to dally with the _princepessa_ – the newly married Isabella Cullen.

When we reached the sandy shore of the small atoll covered in thick jungle, he'd had no idea that the island was not just a place to visit. For Alec, it would become his new home…if he survived. Aro had given me my orders earlier, and I jumped out of the launch to ferry the duffel bag of clothes and two plastic crates of camping supplies, food and tools up the beach. There was also a small tent, a camp bed, a pillow and a sleeping bag, and that was it.

As I walked back to the launch for the last time, I heard Aro talking to Alec on the beach.

"Alec, say hello to your new home."

There was stunned silence for a few short seconds.

"What! Papa! What do you mean by '_this is my new home_'?"

Aro sighed. "Just what I said, Alec. This island will be your new home. You've become more than I want to handle with your deviant ways. I've told you before that your behavior with girls and women must stop, but you do not listen."

Alec fell to his knees, begging before his father. "_Papa_, I promise, I will behave myself. You have my word. Please don't leave me here…alone," he sobbed.

Aro's expression was implacable as he looked upon his son's terrified face.

"It's too late, Alec. You would have pursued the _principessa_ or one of the other Cullen women if I had not sent you back to the ship, and you would have ruined all of my plans. As it was, your mind was strategizing how to get away with it." Aro slapped Alec hard across the crown of his head in disgust.

"No, _Papa_! No, I wasn't. You told me to leave them alone and I did," he gasped desperately.

"ONLY BECAUSE I ORDERED YOU TO, ALEC!" Aro roared.

Alec flinched. It was not often that Aro Volturi raised his voice, especially to his immediate family.

Aro glared down at Alec. "Don't think I don't know about those two girls on Western Samoa, Alec! You put both of them in the hospital and one of them may never have children," Aro spat in disgust. "I never raised you to treat women in such a manner."

Alec frowned in confusion. "But…but, _Papa_, how is what I do any different to what you do?"

Aro's face darkened and he slapped Alec to the sand. He leaned down and fisted Alec's shirt, pulling him up until his face was inches from his own.

"Hear me well and understand for the final time, Alec," Aro hissed quietly. "I may _do_ many things in my role as head of the family, but I have _never _condoned what you do to women." Alec cringed as Aro's spittle sprayed across his face. "I had to pay off the police and the families of those girls to make what you did go away. But never again, Alec, you've had your last rescue from me. What do you think would happen to our family if you had _played_ with the hereditary princess of the Hawaiian Royal Family, hmm?"

Alec's eyes shifted nervously and he gulped as he realized that his father was serious.

Aro released Alec and he fell to the sand. "No, you didn't think about that, did you? Well, you've used up your last chance. Let us see if being here will finally make a man out of you. When I return in a year for the Cullens, I may stop by and check up on you."

Alec scrambled onto his knees to plead with his father. "The Cullens, Papa! Why can't I stay with them if I am to be left on a deserted island?"

Aro scoffed. "Idiot! Do you _really _think I would leave you on an island with four women, Alec? How stupid are you?"

Alec's face hardened at his father's words of disdain. I saw a glint in his eyes that didn't bode well for Aro Volturi's future should Alec survive his exile. It didn't stop him from making one last ditch effort to secure his own future, though.

"The Cullens – they can keep me…detained," Alec suggested frantically, "so I wouldn't be a threat to them. You have the resources to help them with that. Please, _Papa!_" begged Alec.

Aro grunted. "I already tried, Alec, but _Dottor_ Cullen refused to take responsibility for you. So, you see, you are on your own. If you are still alive in a year, I may take you back, but we shall have to see. Goodbye, Alec."

With that, Aro turned on his heel and climbed back into the launch with his back to his son. I joined him as Alec ran toward the small rubber boat.

"What will you tell my _Madre_?" he screamed over the sound of the outboard motor firing. "She will wonder where I am. _Papa, _what will you tell Mamma!"

Aro turned around briefly, his face hard and cold. "I will tell her you jumped overboard trying to rescue a crew member and were lost at sea. You were never a very good swimmer, Alec. She will believe you died heroically." Aro sneered. He flicked his hand at me and we motored slowly away, picking up speed as we cleared the reef.

I watched Aro as we made the twenty minute trip back to the ship. He didn't once show any remorse or sadness for his actions. In fact, he appeared happy that he had one less problem to worry about.

He was a cold hearted bastard and I shivered imperceptibly beneath my clothes.

…

As my mind returned to my current environs, I threw the marketing mail in the recycling bin and tossed the rest onto my desk in the small bedroom I'd set up as an office. Returning to my bedroom, I emptied my duffel into the laundry hamper and laid my handgun in the top drawer of the bedside table. From the side pocket of the canvas bag, I removed the shield I wore that marked me as a Volturi soldier when I was on duty. I laid it on my dresser – I would need it tomorrow. Little did Aro know that it contained a state-of-the-art recording device and camera, courtesy of the CIA toy room.

Walking wearily into the bathroom, I turned on the shower. Water spluttered through the empty pipes forcing the air out loudly. I waited a few seconds and then adjusted the temperature and stripped my clothes off. As I stood beneath the pounding water, I began to formulate in my mind, the content of the report I would write the next day; and as I ate the delicious dinner that was delivered to my door soon after, I jotted down six months of notes, observations and hypotheses.

The next day would be a long one in front of my laptop I realized, as I headed to bed near midnight.

…

**0900 on the 15****th**** of March 2013: Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam - Office of Navy Intelligence, NCIS**

The pretty blonde Ensign sat at her desk pounding away on her keyboard. She looked up at me and smiled occasionally, but otherwise she got on with her duties as I waited to be called. Although I held the rank of Commander, I was dressed in civilian clothes to maintain my cover in case I was seen while out and about in Honolulu.

The desk phone buzzed and the pretty Ensign answered it quickly, hanging up almost immediately. She stood up and came around the desk to stand before me.

"You can go in, Special Agent Romano. They're ready for you now."

I stood up and graced her with one of my boyish grins. Her pupils dilated and a pulse fluttered rapidly in her neck, as she brought her left hand up to her throat. She wasn't wearing a ring. Maybe, I'll ask her out as soon as my assignment was over.

"Thank you, Ensign (I looked at her name badge) Simms." I gifted her with another grin and a wink, to which she responded by giggling girlishly. The door to the office opened and I was beckoned inside. I stood at attention and saluted the man that stood tall in the aperture.

"At ease, Commander," said Rear Admiral Drexller. "Would you like some coffee?"

I lowered my arm to my side. "Thank you, Admiral, coffee would be most welcome."

He nodded. "Come in, come in."

He stepped away from the doorway to order refreshments from the delightful Ensign Simms, and I walked into his large office with its Persian rug, large oak desk and leather chair in front of the wide picture window.

Original artwork depicting various historical navy scenes and portraits adorned two walls. Out of place, but gracing a position of pride was a child's drawing of a navy ship with Admiral Drexller and his young grandson standing before it. It was matted and framed under glass. I stepped forward with a smile to study the budding artists drawing.

Floor to ceiling bookcases were built-in against a third wall. They were full of books, objet d'art and commendations behind protective glass doors. A concealed door in the opposite wall led to another room – the Admiral's private lounge and conference room where our meeting would be held.

I assumed that Director Roberts of the NCIS was also in attendance since he was my second boss. I had three bosses at the moment and it was a little hard to switch my mindset between them all. Admiral Drexller was my first boss, since I was still a US Navy Commander, though currently on reserve status. Director Roberts was my second boss, and had been since I'd been seconded to the NCIS to work undercover three years earlier, and Aro Volturi was my third boss – the man I was working for undercover in order to bring him crashing down.

Unfortunately, it was taking longer than anyone ever imagined, but I was certain he didn't suspect me. If he even thought I might be a double agent, I'd be laying at the bottom of the sea with my feet encased in concrete blocks.

Admiral Drexller entered the room and closed the office door.

"Come on through to the conference room, Commander. We have a lot to talk about. Is that your report?" He gestured toward the satchel I held in my hand, as he opened the concealed door.

I preceded him into the room when he motioned me inside. "Yes, Sir."

Director Roberts was indeed seated at the round conference table. He was talking quietly with a woman I hadn't met before. They looked up when I entered the room. Director Roberts nodded to me curtly and I returned the greeting tersely. There was no love lost between us. He was pissed that I'd been forced on him by the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) and no matter how good I was at doing my job, he hated my guts. The feeling had grown to be mutual, but he was an honorable man.

I took a seat at the table opposite the NCIS director just as another man entered the conference room followed by Ensign Simms pushing a catering cart. It contained large insulated carafes of coffee and hot water for tea. There were cakes and sandwiches, juice, sodas and water bottles as well glasses, silver wear and a china tea and coffee service decorated with the current USN pattern.

We wouldn't need to leave the room for hours other than to attend the bathroom, and there was one of those tucked into the corner of the cozy conference room and lounge

Admiral Drexller offered refreshments as Ensign Simms left the room and then he made quick work of introductions when we all sat down.

"Felix, you know Director Peter Roberts." I inclined my head. "With him, is the new Deputy Director of the NCIS, Maggie Davenport."

"Ma'am," I said politely.

She inclined her head at me. "It's a pleasure to meet you Special Agent Romano…or do you prefer Commander?" She had a lovely Irish lilt to her voice and she looked to be in her late 30's with jet black hair and pale, unblemished skin.

I half smiled. "Either is fine, Ma'am, or you can just call me Felix."

She smiled in return. "Yes, that might be easier for all of us."

Admiral Drexller recalled my attention. "Felix, the young man beside me is Junior Lieutenant Jacob Black. He's been attached to the ONI from the US Coast Guard. He's going to be your new contact for the duration of this mission.

I nodded at the eager young man. "Lieutenant." Shit he was young and green – a newbie to intelligence. I hope he didn't fuck this up for us all. I'd worked for too long and too hard for this mission to go to hell in a hand basket because of an eager-beaver junior officer out to make his mark on the world.

He nodded back. "Commander Romano. I'm pleased to be working with you," he said as he saluted. "I'm sure we can learn a lot from each other."

I raised my brow, but didn't return the formal greeting. Saluting wasn't necessary in this room and in fact, it could get me killed if he did it off the base and the wrong people saw it. As far as my fellow officers were concerned, I had taken early retirement and was lazing away my days on a beach in Bali. As it was, I had to disguise myself whenever I went out in Honolulu, avoiding the traditional military hangouts. The rest of the time – when I wasn't on duty for Aro or reporting to Admiral Drexller and Director Roberts – I hid myself away in my apartment.

"Saluting is not necessary, Lieutenant Black," reprimanded Admiral Drexller. His bushy white brows furrowed into a deep V of disapproval. "If you see Commander Romano outside of this office, you are to ignore him, do you understand? He will make contact with you – not the other way round."

Black flushed red and his eyes flickered. He was embarrassed by his blunder. "Yes, Sir!" he acknowledged sharply, before he lowered his eyes to the table.

Admiral Drexller nodded and turned to command the table. "Let's get started, shall we? We have a great deal to get through." There were sounds of fidgeting as everyone got comfortable. "Felix, could you pass out copies of your report?"

"Yes, Sir." I passed bound copies of the 40 page double-line spaced report to each person and opened my own copy. "If you'll all turn to page three…"

**Six hours later …**

"So we still don't know who Volturi's contact is?" huffed Director Roberts impatiently.

I inclined my head tiredly. We'd been going around and around on this point for the last hour and I was frustrated by the futility of the discussion.

"That's right, Sir. All I've been able to discern from the ship's satellite telecommunication records is that Aro Volturi has made a number of calls to the East coast of America over the past few months. He's also received two calls – one from the East coast and one from the South West – possibly Texas."

Admiral Drexller moved the discussion along and I was immeasurably grateful. "Very well, Felix. Please continue to monitor his calls. If we can crack the encryption codes, it will go a long way to bringing the investigation to a favorable conclusion."

"Yes, Sir, I'll do my best." I turned the page in my report. "Admiral, we've located the Cullens."

His eyes widened and he stared at me, shocked. "Lieutenant Edward Cullen and his family?"

"Yes, Sir. His boat was robbed by Volturi's pirates and it was seriously damaged in a hurricane a few days later. They made their way to a deserted island in the Northern Line Islands and they've been there ever since."

I launched into an explanation of the life the Cullens had built for themselves on the island, drawing on what I'd been told, and what I'd concluded from my own observations. I told them about Aro's interest in Edward and Doctor Cullen.

"How do they seem to you, Felix? Are they healthy…happy?" asked Ms Davenport curiously.

I snorted under my breath. "Well they are as happy and healthy as they can be, Ms Davenport. They've built a house to live in and they've captured animals to rear for food and they have a garden. Edward Cullen was sporting a broken nose when I was there, but I don't know how he got it. Doctor Cullen was out of medical supplies, but he's obviously been treating any illnesses and injuries as best he can. Aro supplied new medical provisions and equipment to the Doctor when a fight broke out that resulted in injuries to his daughter Jane and his nephew Demetri."

Director Roberts' eyebrows rose into his hairline. "He provided medical supplies? Why didn't he return Jane and Demetri to his ship? He has a sickbay on board."

I shook my head. "I'm not sure, Sir. It puzzled me at first, but I think he might have been testing Doctor Cullen. Jane's injury was minor, but Demetri's was far more serious."

"Testing him for what?" Jacob Black asked. "Why not just kill them?"

"Well, he wanted the gold primarily, but then I think his interest in Doctor Cullen grew."

The four people around the table blinked at me, totally confused.

"What gold?" asked Ms Davenport.

"Millions of dollars in Portuguese gold coins, circa 1750. They were hidden in fake Polynesian tiki statues all over the island. The Cullens had found three of them before we got there, and Jane found two more."

"Good God!" gasped Admiral Drexller.

I inclined my head in acknowledgement. "Yes. There is more to be found, I'm sure of it, but we didn't locate it during the week we were on Isabella Island."

"Where do you think it might be hidden, Felix?" asked Ms Davenport.

I pursed my lips thoughtfully. "I think it's hidden in the only place we didn't look – inside the Volcano."

"Extinct, I assume," stated Director Roberts.

"Yes, Sir, I believe so."

"Alright. You have the islands coordinates?"

I nodded and reeled them off. Jacob Black scrambled to write them down in the margins of his copy of the report. I didn't stop him, even though they were disclosed on the following page.

"Felix?" called Ms Davenport.

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"You referred to the island as _Isabella Island_. Why is that?"

"Ah, yes. It's named after Isabella Swan. She's with them and has recently married Edward Cullen." Ms Davenport's brows quirked inquiringly. I grinned at her. "Yes, they '_married_' in a ceremony presided over by Doctor Cullen and witnessed by the rest of the Cullen family and Larry Vincent."

Jacob Black spoke up. "Larry Vincent? Isn't he Victoria Vincent's cousin. What's he doing there?"

"Yes, he is," I confirmed. I told them what we suspected about James Hunter. "He was one of Aro's pirates in command of the MORTE. I hope we're still tracking it?" I asked. Admiral Drexller nodded curtly. "I don't know exactly what happened, but Aro believes that the Cullens killed James Hunter and burned his body after Victoria left for Honolulu. They took Larry in and they've been caring for him ever since."

Director Roberts snorted. "Well based on the Intel we've gathered on James Hunter, I think we can guess that he was playing one of his sick games and he picked the wrong people to hustle."

"I think that's safe to assume, Director Roberts," I agreed.

Admiral Drexller drummed his fingers against the polished timber table thoughtfully. "Felix, you said that Aro has taken an interest in Lieutenant Cullen?" I nodded. "For what purpose?"

"Aro wants an inside man with the navy. He also admires Edward. He sees himself in the Lieutenant and he wants him as a husband for Jane, though she doesn't know that. He's got his lawyer looking into whether his marriage is legal and he threatened Cullen's wife and unborn child if he didn't cooperate."

"Ms Swan is pregnant!" gasped Ms Davenport.

I nodded. "Yes. So are Rosalie and Esme Cullen."

Admiral Drexller spluttered on his coffee, spraying the open report in front of him. "Doctor Cullen's middle-aged _wife_ is _pregnant_?"

"Yes, Sir. I believe it is his wife's high-risk pregnancy that convinced Doctor Cullen to cooperate with Aro, though I don't know what his plans are for him. He seems to…like him," I revealed for want of a better description.

"Mrs Cullen was quite ill for most of our time on the island and I deduced that she has been for some weeks. Aro had more medical supplies delivered from the ships sickbay the day we departed. I could tell that Doctor Cullen didn't want to accept any more favors from Aro, but his concern for his wife and family made the decision for him."

"Good grief," cried Ms Davenport. "The machinations of Aro Volturi know no boundaries. Whatever he wants, he expects to get!" No one responded. Her comment was entirely emotional and rhetorical.

After a moment, Director Roberts asked the million dollar question. "Why didn't Volturi just take Doctor and Edward Cullen when he left the island and kill the others? Wouldn't that have been easier than blackmail?"

"Yes, Sir, it would have been, but Aro has one redeeming quality." There was a series of disbelieving snorts from the people around the table. "He doesn't _like_ killing women – especially pregnant women – although, I believe he would have killed them had he been forced to."

"Well, let's arrange to extract them, Felix," Admiral Drexller ordered.

"Begging your pardon, Sir, but I don't believe that's the best course of action."

The Admirals brows furrowed. "Explain."

I turned toward him and spoke to him directly, ignoring the rest of the people in the room. "Sir, Aro Volturi plans to return for the Cullens before the end of the year. I believe that should he not find them there, it may jeopardize any chance we have of completing our mission."

Jacob Black interrupted. "Can't we just pass their return to civilization off as an opportune rescue?"

I scowled at Black, but he bravely stared back at me. Hmm, maybe there was hope for him yet. I sighed and rubbed my forehead which was throbbing with a headache.

"Perhaps, Lieutenant Black, but for the moment, the Cullens are safe enough on the island. They have plenty of food, sturdy shelter and medical supplies. If they are rescued too quickly, Aro may correctly suspect that he has a spy amongst his people. He'll go to ground and we may never find out who his contact is at the Pentagon."

Admiral Drexller considered my theory before he nodded. "Alright, Felix. The _USS Chafee_ is currently in the general area and was due to return to Hawaii, but I'll give the order for them to remain. Should it become necessary, they can arrive at the islands coordinates within hours and extract the Cullens. The _USS O'Kane _will continue its covert monitoring of MORTE. Where is Aro's ship, _Volterra_ currently?"

"Thank you Sir. _Volterra_ is currently docked at Volturi's private island 100 nautical miles west of here and is under armed guard. We took a helicopter to Honolulu on Wednesday and he flew by private jet to the mainland. I don't know what his flight plan was but the aircraft registration number is I-VV666. It's a new aircraft and it was just delivered a week ago."

Jacob Black snorted. "I'm surprised he doesn't have his own airport."

I coughed. "He does, but the runway isn't finished."

"Jesus Christ," muttered Director Roberts.

"Is there anything else to report, Felix?" asked Admiral Drexller as he looked at his wristwatch. I glanced surreptitiously at my own time piece. It was nearly 1700 hours.

"Yes, Sir, one last thing. Aro Volturi abandoned his son Alec on another deserted island. He was taking a little too much interest in Bella and Alice Cullen. From what I can gather, Alec had been up to his usual tricks in Western Samoa and Aro finally had enough."

Ms Davenport scowled, understanding my meaning. She'd read the intelligence reports on all of the Volturi. "Are the coordinates in your report, Felix?"

I nodded. "Yes, Ma'am, on page 39."

"I gather you have no objections if we pick him up?" she asked glibly.

I smirked. "No, Ma'am. Perhaps if you could ask the operatives who collect him to make it look as though he had a rough time of it? Aro implied he might stop by sometime and see how his son was faring."

She nodded. "Consider it done, Special Agent."

Admiral Drexller stood up, followed quickly by Director Roberts and the rest of us. "Well, if there's nothing else, I believe we're all talked out. Dismissed."

…

I threw myself into the town car with its blackout windows and nodded off in the backseat as the driver took me back to the Ala Moana shopping centre where I'd left my first decoy vehicle early this morning. We drove through the underground car park to Valet Parking where I hopped out and rode the elevator down two levels to a beat up Chevy truck with 'Dole Pineapple Plantation' painted on its side.

It rumbled to life and I wheeled out of the car park into the waning evening light as I made my way inland to change vehicles. By the time I'd swapped the truck for my motorcycle, black helmet and leathers, it was nearly 1830 hours and I was beat. I looked around me to check for surveillance on my movements. When I was satisfied I hadn't been followed, I mounted the black Ducati motorcycle and headed home with the wind blowing around me.

…

**AN:** I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint, but I wanted to give you some insight into what was going on away from Isabella Island from a different perspective. Back to the Cullens and Isabella Island in chapter 43. We're getting close to the birth of Rosalie & Emmett's baby and we need to hear from Carlisle about what Aro wants with him.

There aren't any photos on my blog for this chapter.

So, I've been pretty busy the past few weeks, hence the delay on this chapter. My mother is moving from Melbourne to Sydney, so I've been doing a lot of organizing for her and there is still plenty more to come. She should be here by the end of February.

I'm also taking my long service leave (that's 8 weeks paid leave from work for 10 years continuous service) in May and June and I'm off to the USA for three weeks. I'll be in New York for 7 nights, then the Hawaiian Islands for 7 nights (the Big Island, Kauai and Honolulu) and then about 4 nights in LA – gotta visit Disneyland. If I take some good photos in Hawaii, I'll use them in the Wrecked blog. I plan to visit the Kilauea Volcano and the Thurston lava tubes on the Big Island, Waimea Canyon and the Fern Grotto on Kauai, and if I get time, I might visit Pearl Harbor while I'm in Honolulu.


	43. Chapter 43 - Mama Mia

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thank you to EsmeCullen47 for her editing skills and pre-reading.

Sorry for the long delay in updating Wrecked. I want to thank everyone for all of the reviews asking (very sweetly) for a chapter update. Thanks for your patience while my RL settled down and I went on my vacation. I hope most of you have stuck with me and are willing to keep reading after such a long absence. In any event, I'll understand if you don't want to. Check out the AN at the end of this chapter for an update on my USA trip – if you're interested.

Warning: A little bit of bad language and explicit detail towards the end of the chapter.

…

_Where we left off: _

_Edward and Bella got married and honeymooned at the Grotto for three days at the end of January. The Volturi arrived on Isabella Island as the newlyweds were returning to the compound. On the first day, a fight broke out between the Cullens and the Volturi when Aro ordered one of his soldiers, Demetri, to torture Bella in order to ensure the Cullens, and in particular, Edward's, cooperation. Bella was saved from serious injury when Edward defended her, breaking Demetri's nose. _

_Larry's mouth was shattered when he was hit in the face by the butt of a rifle (meant for Edward) wielded by Felix, who, we discover in chapter 42, is a Navy/NCIS undercover agent tasked with infiltrating the Volturi to bring the family down. Also injured during the fight was Emmett when he was kicked in the junk by Jane. Rose came to her husband's rescue throwing a burning candle at Jane, burning her enemies hand with the melted wax._

_The Volturi stayed a week and collected all of the gold coins hidden in the fake Polynesian tiki's – five of them in all. At the end of the Volturi's visit, Aro makes Edward an offer he can't refuse – work for Aro upon his return to Hawaii, or he'd never see Bella and his unborn child ever again. Aro threatened to take Bella with him when he departed the island, unless Edward agreed. Unwilling to commit treason, Edward vows to find a way out of the mess and is prepared to feed Aro false information to protect his family and his country if he is forced to work for Aro. At the end of their negotiation, Aro tells Edward he will return for him and the rest of his family before the end of the year, but won't elaborate on why there is such a long delay._

_We also discover that Aro has an interest in Carlisle, but we don't know why except that Felix has observed that Aro seems to _**like **_Carlisle. Aro supplied Carlisle with medical equipment drugs and provisions so that Carlisle could treat the injured after the fight. In chapter 42, we find out that Aro dumped his deviant son Alec on a deserted atoll as punishment for his predatory ways with young girls and women. The NCIS decide to pick up Alec and hold him indefinitely; however, they also decide to leave the Cullens where they are for the moment in order to protect the mission._

…

Chapter 43 – Mama Mia

Edward's POV: Sunday 28th of April 2013 – six weeks after Felix's report to the Navy/NCIS.

I dropped another box of weapons outside the tunnel entrance to the burial cave, and wiped my sweating forehead with the hem of my filthy shirt. Jasper and Larry were on the other side of the waterfall loading the armaments into two large wheelbarrows we'd constructed.

We'd been caught with our pants down three months ago – for the second time in as many months – when James' boss Aro came looking for him and the gold. I was determined we wouldn't be so unfortunate a third time. These weapons would be strategically distributed around the compound and at various points on the island.

In recent weeks, we'd stepped up our production of Hawaiian weapons and I'd been teaching everyone hand-to-hand combat skills, including the women, but their pregnancies necessitated teaching them defensive rather than offensive skills. Alice, however, had taken to fighting like she was born for it.

Since Alice wasn't pregnant, she'd argued that there was no reason why she couldn't learn offensive combat skills with the rest of us. Jasper nearly had a stroke when she fronted up to class with her fight-face on and refused to leave. Since his wife insisted on staying, Jasper insisted they train together, except he treated her like a Dresden doll that might shatter at the slightest contact. After a week of little progress in their skills (toddlers pulled better punches than Jasper), I was about to suggest a change of partner when Alice marched up to me after a particularly ineffectual training session and _demanded_ that I assign her a new partner. She said that Jasper was holding _her_ back because _he_ was holding back.

"I'll fight with you, Tinker Bell," volunteered Emmett, winking in her direction. He was three times her size and weight, but given the way she'd laid into Felix, I thought with the right training she might actually be able to take him down.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Thanks, Emmett – you're the best. You don't mind training with Jasper, do you, Carlisle?"

Dad, still breathing heavily from his exertions, shook his head. "Not at all, sweetheart. I think a change of partners might be good for all of us." Dad was having similar problems training with Emmett. The eldest Cullen son was so afraid of hurting the patriarch of our family; he simply held Dad at arm's length with one well placed hand against his chest, while Dad danced around exhausting himself.

"No fucking way!" yelled Jasper. He poked Emmett hard in the sternum with a rigid finger. "You keep your bear paws and Yeti hooves away from my woman, do ya hear me?" he hissed in Emmett's face.

Emmett waved his hand in front of his face and gagged. "Phew! Dude, what'd you clean your teeth with this morning – yesterday's socks?"

Jazz clamped his lips closed, glared, and backed away from Emmett. Alice fastened a small but firm hand around her husband's wrist, whispering something to him. He scowled and shook his head.

Dad frowned, crossing his arms across his chest. "What's going on, Jasper?" he asked sternly.

"Nothin'," he muttered.

Dad's brows quirked. "Don't give me that, son. If your breath smells…"

"I'm fine, Dad!" Jasper interrupted impatiently. "There's nothing _wrong_ with me that a visit to the dentist, a decent toothbrush and toothpaste won't solve," he said sulkily.

Dad sighed and drew off the iguana leather gloves we'd all been using to protect our hands during training. "Come inside, Jasper and let me examine your mouth." His tone said _don't argue. _"In fact, I want to examine everyone's teeth."

Dad diagnosed poor oral hygiene – a problem for all of us since the toothpaste was gone and our toothbrushes were worn down to stubs. Bella and Dad concocted an antiseptic mouthwash, and a tooth cleaning powder using a base of moringa and other herbs. Chewing sticks were fashioned from moringa twigs to replace toothbrushes, and Jasper made coils of dental floss from fine threads of olona cord.

None of it was as good as swigging from a bottle of Listerine, or squeezing a blob of Crest toothpaste onto a brush, but it was the best we could do under the circumstances. We adapted – after all, we were experts at it after nine months on this island.

"Hey, Edward?" called Emmett.

"Yeah?" I replied tiredly from behind the waterfall.

"How's about we deliver these two loads and call it a day? It'll be dark soon and we're hungry."

"Yeah, Meester Red," seconded Larry. "Meesers Lady Esme ees cooken a roast for deener and me's real hungry." His speech impediment had settled down, but he had problems pronouncing his I's.

"Of course you are," I mumbled. Larry and Emmett's preoccupation with food was the one constant we could all rely upon. Everything else had been in a state of flux since Aro Volturi invaded our haven and blackmailed me and my dad.

"Yeah, okay. I'll be out in a minute," I said. Pinching the slight bump on the bridge of my nose to relieve the pressure of a growing headache, I pushed the bamboo crates of weapons back into the tunnel entrance and ducked through the flow of water, shaking myself like a dog to dissipate the excess on the other side. The splatters reached as far as Emmett and Larry.

"Hey!" they both yelled. They wiped off their faces, scratching fingers through days-old scruffy beards. The razor blades were blunt and needed to be honed again. I sluiced off of my own hair and beard. Picking up a towel, I gave myself a cursory drying-off.

"Why don't we park the wheelbarrows in the hut and finish this tomorrow?" I suggested. Both of their faces brightened.

"Great idea, Edward," agreed Emmett. "I want to get home and check on Rosalie. She's been feelin' crappy all week and she's not sleepin' well. Dad says the baby will come any day now."

Guilt hummed through me. Emmett had been a good sport about doing his share of the heavy work these past weeks, when all he wanted was to spend time with his wife – even if her temper was on a short fuse. We'd all been subjected to Rose's mercurial moods of late, but no one more than her husband. He either had the patience of a saint or a healthy dose of fear.

We made it home by twilight. The days were getting longer as the seasons changed. Officially, we were half way through spring. The weather was getting warmer and the humidity higher as the wet season approached. I pitied Mom and Bella having to give birth during the summer when the humidity was at its highest, with no air-conditioning to offer relief while they labored.

Mom waddled into the entry foyer as we three entered the house. She looked hot and tired as she mopped beads of perspiration from her face with a damp face washer. "Oh, good, you're home," she sighed. "Go get cleaned up. Dinner will be on the table in an hour."

Emmett leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "We will, Mom. Where's Rose?"

She patted his chest and inclined her head toward the living room. "She's dozing on the sofa. Don't wake her until dinner; she needs the sleep and her back's been bothering her all day."

Emmett nodded agreeably. "I won't, Mom, I just want to look at her."

"You're a good boy," she said affectionately.

Emmett blushed. "Aw, Mom," he moaned, slinking away. Larry and I sniggered.

"Larry, go on upstairs and shower," Mom requested, "and wash your hair using shampoo this time." She smiled at him encouragingly. "I made an apple pie for dessert."

He whooped and scuttled eagerly toward the stairs. "Yees, ma'am!"

"Edward, your father wants to talk to you. He's in his office."

I stiffened. "Thanks, Mom." I had a feeling I knew what he wanted to discuss. It was the same thing we'd been arguing about for three months.

"Don't be long," she admonished, "I don't want dinner to spoil."

"I won't. Where's Bella?"

"She's upstairs with Alice being fitted for maternity wear. She's remaking some of Bella's clothes to accommodate her growing belly, but she'll be down shortly to help me." We heard footsteps on the stairs and Bella's gently swollen stomach came into view. "Speak of the devil," Mom said.

I strode over to the bottom of the stairs to greet my beautiful wife and child. 'Hey, baby," I said, and leaned down for a smacking kiss. Bella pulled back and wrinkled her nose.

"Ew, Edward, you stink!" She waved her hand in front of her face. One of Bella's pregnancy symptoms was an aversion to certain smells: body odor being number one on her hit list, followed closely by iguana-chicken – raw or cooked – and over-ripe papaya.

I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Bella. I'll shower shortly, but first I've gotta go see Dad."

She pouted. "Well, alright, but hurry up and bring your dirty clothes down to the laundry so they don't molder away in the hamper." She held her nose closed and reached up to peck my mouth. I tried to slip her a bit of tongue, but she pulled away too quickly, leaving me pouting with disappointment.

Mom laughed. "Dinner at 7 o'clock," she reminded as she left the room. Bella slowly turned to watch her toddle away. I used the opportunity to snuggle closer against her slender back and nuzzle her neck. My hands slipped loosely around her thickening waistline.

"Esme looks tired," Bella said. Concern laced her voice.

I frowned. "Yeah, I know. She said she made an apple pie. She hasn't been cooking in the hot kitchen all day, has she?"

Bella shook her head. "No. She baked the pie and made a salad, but I prepared dinner."

"I'm surprised Dad let her. And what about you? I thought we agreed that you'd start to take it easier and let Alice take over a lot of the cooking?" I accused curtly.

Bella clumsily turned in my arms. She narrowed her eyes, pointing a slender finger in my face. "Yes, well, I don't think Esme _consulted_ Carlisle, and her contribution wasn't strenuous. And, Alice helped out with the veggies."

I set my mouth into a stern line and raised my own finger. "But we _agreed_, Bella…"

Bella cut me off. "No buts, Edward! Everyone works around here unless they're injured or sick and I'm neither of those. I have a few more months until our little one is ready to be born," she reminded me, rubbing her rounded stomach, "I'm resting every day and taking my time. I'll be okay for awhile yet."

I opened my mouth to retort, but closed it again when Bella brought her fingers gently up to my mouth to shush me.

"Edward, I'm fine! Please don't worry about me so much. I won't overdo it – I promise, but Alice isn't the most apt student when it comes to cooking skills. Now, I love you, baby, but if you don't get away from me right now, I'm gonna spew all over your shoes!" she warned.

I let go of her hurriedly and backed away, belatedly noticing the green tinge to her face. "Um, sorry."

She waved her hand carelessly as she edged her way out of the foyer. "It's okay," she croaked and gagged. "Just don't come near me again until you shower." Bella fled the room.

I sniffed my shirt. It _was_ a bit ripe. I fluttered the fabric around my torso to dispel the odor as I knocked on Dad's office door, and waited to be admitted.

"Come in."

As I stood in the aperture, Dad was at his desk, rubbing his eyes tiredly. His glasses were resting on the latest batch of handmade paper spread across the table. Most of the sheets were covered in his doctor's scribble, diagrams, tables and charts.

"You wanted to see me, Dad?" I spoke quietly.

He looked up with sad eyes. "Yes, Edward. Please close the door and sit down." He stared at me intently. "You know what I want to talk about?" I nodded, bracing myself for yet another argument. He sighed and gestured to the papers spread before us. "I've gone over everything a thousand times, Edward. We _have_ to tell them! We can't leave them unprepared should events not unfold as Aro promised. If he leaves them here …"

"Then we send the authorities to pick them up, Dad! We've been over this a thousand times. There _is_ no _other_ way," I insisted.

Dad thumped his desk with a fist, making me jump in surprise. "Yes, there _is_ another way – there has to be! We tell the family everything – tonight! I made every member of this family promise not to keep secrets that affect our wellbeing, and we've been keeping this huge secret for months. I'm worried about your mother and I won't do this anymore!"

I stood up to pace the length of the office. "But, Dad, they all accepted our original story about protecting ourselves against another Volturi invasion force. We've stashed supplies, tools, weapons and medical provisions in two different caves, both of them secluded and well hidden. If … _when_ the Volturi return, we'll hide the family, and you and I will say that we're going to negotiate with Aro. We'll leave with him as he demanded. As long as he can't find them, Aro can't go back on his word and do them any harm."

Dad reared to his feet furiously. "How is leaving _our _wives and family alone here, without any clue about what happened to us, going to keep them safe, Edward?! They'll go mad with grief wondering if we've been killed! And we can't send the authorities to rescue them, because Aro will know we arranged it. What about their safety when they return to Honolulu?"

I threw myself into the chair in front of the desk. Dad breathed deeply to calm himself before lowering into his own seat. A lone tear leaked from his eye to trail down his cheek. "I can't, I _won't_ do that to your mother, son, and you shouldn't _want_ to do it to Bella. They deserve better from us."

He was right, I knew he was. They did deserve better from us – all of them did, but I couldn't think of any other way to keep them safe from the Volturi. When Dad and I conferred after Aro's departure, we decided to say nothing until we could figure out a solution. After a few weeks, I announced to the family that we needed to be better prepared to protect ourselves and that's when we began hoarding weapons and supplies in secret locations.

"Why did you agree, Dad?" I asked wearily. He exhaled heavily, sagging defeatedly against his chair.

"You _know_ why, Edward. Aro promised additional medical supplies, as well as provisions for newborn infants if I agreed to be his personal physician."

"Yes, I know, but we've improvised so far – we would have coped," I argued, "you could have told him to go fuck himself!"

Dad covered his face with his hands, speaking quietly. "Edward, there is something I didn't tell you about Aro's demands." _And I thought I was the only one of us that hadn't been completely honest._ He looked up. "As you know, Aro threatened to kill Larry, since he lived on MORTE for over a year and could testify about Jimmy and Vivi's activities while employed by the Volturi."

I nodded. I still think we could have found a way to protect Larry, but Dad would never allow an innocent soul and a member of our family to pay with their lives … and Larry _was_ a part of our family. I reached across the table and squeezed his hand encouragingly.

"What else, Dad? What didn't you tell me the first time?"

He fidgeted with his Japanese sand garden as a delaying tactic, deep in thought. I waited him out. Eventually, he'd tell me the rest of it. "Aro threatened to burn our house to the ground with everything in it, leaving us homeless and at the mercy of the elements. He also threatened to shoot the animals and destroy the garden depriving us of a ready food supply. We would have been left with nothing but the clothes on our back."

"Bastard!" I muttered, thumping my leg with a fisted hand.

"Yes," Dad agreed. "I couldn't allow that to happen. With the pregnancies and three babies … I-I was worried for your mother." His voice broke. "She's been so unwell, Edward. I don't know if she or the baby would have survived living in a cave with no medical supplies, clothes or blankets."

Aro Volturi knew just what to threaten us with to gain our cooperation. He was a master manipulator, and if he was here right now, I'd kill him with my bare hands and damn the consequences. "I understand, Dad. You made the right decision under the circumstances."

An expression of relief cast over his face. "Thank you, Edward."

We sat silently for a long moment – it was time to come clean myself. "Um, Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Aro didn't only threaten to kidnap Bella and the baby. I kept something back from you, as well."

"I thought you may have," he responded without surprise.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. You're a navy officer, trained in intelligence. You've been taught never to lay all your cards on the table. Let me have it," Dad demanded.

"He (I swallowed) he wants me to pass him classified information. If I didn't agree, Aro would have killed all of us. I couldn't let that happen."

Dad's eyes widened and his mouth resembled a fish. "I-I … don't know what to say."

"Yeah, I know. Neither of us was given much choice in the matter." I huffed with resignation. "So what do we tell the family? Mom, Bella and Rose should not be exposed to stress at the moment, especially Mom – she looks … a bit beaten."

Dad stood up. "I know. She has another six weeks to go until she's full term, but this pregnancy is taking its toll on her."

"She was cooking today, you know?" I ratted.

Dad appeared startled. "Don't worry, Bella kept an eye on her," I assured him hurriedly. "All Mom did was make a salad and an apple pie. Bella did the rest, and they've both been teaching Alice to cook."

Dad's nose wrinkled. "Hmm, I love the girl, but the less said about Alice's culinary skills, the better," he muttered, "but she is trying, I suppose." I chuckled in agreement. "Perhaps one of _us_ could take over the cooking?" he mused.

"Maybe. I don't think Alice would object," I said. Alice _hated_ cooking with a passion.

Dad glanced at his wrist watch. "It's a quarter to seven, Edward. Go shower before dinner." I nodded and headed to the door. "We tell the family everything after dinner, in the living room," he reminded me. "We discuss it calmly and then we come up with a plan that everyone can agree to. No one will sacrifice themselves to Aro Volturi," he added decisively.

I closed the door behind me, pausing in the foyer. Mom and Bella were going to be pissed at us. My first inclination was to keep it under wraps, but Dad had nearly reached his breaking point. If _we_ didn't tell them together, then he would let the cat out of the bag and all hell would break loose. Coming clean together meant I could contain _how_ the intel was relayed. I'd deal with the fallout afterward.

I showered quickly and completed the rest of my daily ablutions. Shaving would have to wait until I'd sharpened my razor. After dressing in clean boxers, shorts and a t-shirt, I bundled my dirty clothes into the hamper and took it downstairs to the laundry. As I entered the dining room, Jasper and Alice were setting the table.

"Hey there," I greeted.

"Hi, Edward," Jazz replied. "You're just in time."

"Great. I'm starving. I hear you helped with dinner, Alice," I said. Secretly, I agreed with Dad's view on Alice's cooking, but she deserved the encouragement. She'd tried really hard these past few months to make up for her selfish and bratty behavior. So had Jasper and the atmosphere in the house and pretty much returned to normal – a relief for everyone.

Alice shrugged. "Well, I peeled the potatoes and shelled the moringa pods for the peas, but I don't know if that counts as 'cooking'," she said, making air quotes. Jazz chuckled.

"I'm sure they're the best potatoes and peas we'll ever eat, Alice," I praised (lied).

"Oh phooey," she said, blushing prettily.

I left them to finish the table. When I entered the kitchen, Bella was filling platters and bowls with various vegetables, and a roasted leg of goat rested in its pan ready for carving. "Hi, baby." She looked up, smiling at my fresh appearance. Her face and throat shimmered with a fine layer of perspiration. "Let me drop the hamper in the laundry and I'll take the food into the dining room for you," I offered.

She smiled gratefully. "Thanks. Could you call everyone to dinner first?"

"Sure." I dumped the hamper by the washing machine, then strode back to the foyer, whistling loudly to catch everyone's attention. "Dinner's ready!" As I was setting platters of steaming food onto the table, Mom entered the room, sitting down in her usual place to the right of Dad's seat at the head of the table. She shot me an admonishing stare for whistling and yelling in the house – a rule since childhood.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"Hmm," she intoned, shaking out her napkin and laying it over her lap.

Larry arrived. He sniffed the pie on the sideboard before sitting beside Mom. He _always_ sat next to Mom. The others trailed into the dining room with a lumbering Rosalie bring up the rear escorted by her husband.

"Hey, Mees Rosie!" greeted Larry cheerfully. "You look beauteeful."

Rose scowled, grunted, and collapsed onto her chair. She shook out her napkin and laid it over the top of her enormous stomach. The fabric rippled where the baby's foot kicked her in the ribs. She winced and rubbed her side.

Dad strode into the room and sat down at the head of the table. "Evening, everyone." He absently reached over and rubbed the top of Mom's swollen belly. The baby pushed against his hand as though _she_ knew her daddy was saying hello. Mom was emphatic they were having a girl, and she and Dad were arguing over names. Dad wanted to name her after his mother. Mom said over her dead body would her daughter go through life as Enid. I'd loved my dearly departed granny to pieces, but I agreed with Mom!

Bella brought the roasted joint to the table ready for carving and everyone helped themselves to vegetables and salad while Jasper volunteered to do the honors. He wielded the carving knife like a pro, slicing the plump, brown leg into neat portions. It smelled delicious. Jasper had been on patrol earlier in the week when we'd heard a gunshot. Emmett and I raced in the direction the shot had come from, leaving Dad and Larry at the house to protect the women. Imagine our surprise, when we met Jasper trotting along the trail with the dead goat wrapped across his shoulders.

We'd skidded to a stop in front of a grinning Jasper. "What the hell?" yelled Emmett.

"Thought I'd do a bit of hunting," Jazz said blithely.

"Jesus Christ, you scared the crap out of us!" I snarled. "We thought the Volturi had returned."

He reddened sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry, but this fella was right in front of me grazing in the jungle. I didn't even think. I just pulled out my weapon, aimed and fired."

I checked out the carcass on his shoulders. "It looks like a clean shot – the animal didn't suffer," I noted, praising his marksmanship.

Jazz grinned. "Thanks, but it's all because of you – you give good shooting lessons, Edward."

I snorted. "Okay, but next time you decide to go hunting, could you give us a little warning first?" I'd insisted on giving shooting lessons for protection rather than hunting, but we'd had to do it without bullets. I concentrated on teaching everyone how to use the various weapons, how to aim true and how to pull the trigger. The actual use of ammunition had been restricted due to the limited supply on hand.

"Let's get the carcass home," Jazz said. "If we don't dress it soon, the meat will spoil, and I for one am looking forward to some red meat." Emmett nodded emphatically in agreement. "I hear it tastes like beef," Jazz remarked offhandedly.

That had been Tuesday, and today was Sunday. The carcass had been butchered into prime cuts and then either frozen, hung in the smoke house, oven dried, made into sausages using the cleaned intestines, or salt cured. The preserved meat would keep for months. By the time it was all gone, some of the baby chicks would be large enough to butcher and a new litter of piglets would be born.

"Pass your plate, Edward" said Jasper.

"Huh?" Jazz held out his hand. "Oh, right," I murmured distractedly, passing my plate to him. He loaded me up with succulent slices of roasted goat meat, passing it back to me. I inhaled deeply and cut a piece of meat to taste before adding gravy. "Hmm, tastes like veal," I said, pleasantly surprised.

"I think it tastes like lamb," mumbled Rose around a mouthful of food. She was tucking into her dinner like it was her last meal.

"Slow down, Rosalie," Dad reproved, "you'll give yourself indigestion."

She mumbled something that sounded like 'hungry' and then hiccoughed, making us all laugh. Emmett rubbed her back, offering some relief. "Thanks, babe" she cooed, and continued eating. After another minute, Emmett removed his hand to eat his own dinner. "Hey! I didn't _say_ you could stop," Rose hissed, glaring at her husband. His eyes widened in alarm and he hurriedly returned his hand, abandoning his dinner. He stared at his full plate sadly.

Bella grinned and took pity on my browbeaten brother. "Hand me your plate, Emmett, and I'll cut up your food so you can eat one-handed." He brightened immediately.

"Thanks, Bella! You're a real trouper." She waved her hand airily and took the plate he passed her.

Dad cleared his throat. "Everyone?" We all focused our attention at the head of the table. I knew what was coming. "Ahem, after dinner, we need to have a family meeting in the living room."

I looked around the table. They all wore various expressions ranging from interest to mild concern, except Bella who eyed me with narrowed eyes of suspicion at my lack of reaction. I swallowed and smiled weakly in an attempt to deflect her – she only narrowed her eyes further and drummed her fingers on the table. I looked away hurriedly.

"I'll try not to keep you all too late," Dad added.

Mom frowned, staring intently at her husband. "What's this all about, Carlisle?" He reached over and patted her hand gently.

"After dinner, Esme. Let's all enjoy our dinner and then we'll talk, hmm?" Mom opened her mouth as if to object, then thought better of it, retreating silently.

Bella leaned close, clearly not as patient as my mother. "What's going on?" she hissed quietly. I shrugged, feigning ignorance. "Don't give me that, Edward Cullen – you _know_ something!" she insisted.

I slid my hand to her knee and squeezed gently, but firmly in warning. "Wait for the family meeting. _Please_, Bella?" I implored quietly. After a moment, she nodded reluctantly and resumed eating.

I breathed a little easier, but the atmosphere at the table was tense – even Larry picked up on the anxious vibes, and he ate his dinner without his usual chatter. For some of us – much of the enjoyment in our meal was gone.

…

"Is everyone comfortable?" Dad asked, as we gathered in the living room. There was a chorus of yes and yeps, and nods of acknowledgement. Dad rubbed his hands together nervously. "Okay, then," he coughed, "there's something that _Edward and I_ need to tell you … about Aro Volturi." Bella and Mom gaped at us accusingly. I gulped. "Edward, will you join me?" invited Dad. I felt like a million eyes were drilling into my back, as I moved to stand united beside my father. He twitched nervously.

"What's going on, Dad?" asked Jasper, fidgeting uneasily. Emmett sat leaning forward, dangling his hands between his spread knees. Larry sat between Mom and Rosalie, patting their jiggling hands reassuringly – he'd startled at the mention of Aro, but then I noticed he looked resigned, rather than inquiring or nervous. I narrowed my eyes at him thoughtfully. He caught me staring, and looked down at the floor with sudden, intense interest.

"Carlisle, Edward?" prompted Mom.

Dad inclined his head toward me (coward) and I took a deep breath before launching into our confession. "Before Aro left three months ago, he sought out Dad and I separately … and he made … _demands_ of us we felt we couldn't refuse." Collective gasps sounded from our audience.

"Why are we only hearing about this now?" demanded Emmett irritably. I felt annoyance flare, but Emmett was entitled to be pissed. I glanced toward Bella and Mom. They both wore dangerous expressions that didn't bode well for Dad's or my personal safety when they got us alone.

"We," (Dad gestured between he and I) "felt that telling you about Aro's threats (I winced), would be counterproductive … at the time."

"What?!" Mom yelled. She struggled to her feet, gave up halfway and collapsed on the sofa. "_What threats_, Carlisle?!" she demanded.

"Er …" he fumbled. I interjected before he could make a hash of it, making a calming motion with my hands to quiet the rabble of questions.

"Quiet!" I eventually yelled. "Please," I added more calmly. The room quieted reluctantly. "We're going to tell you everything. We realize we should have done this months ago, but (I rubbed the back of my neck) we didn't know how to. We didn't know _what_ to do."

Alice spoke up softly. "Why don't you both sit down and we can discuss this calmly – as a family. We'll let you finish speaking before we ask any questions … _won't we_?" she added with determination, eyeballing everyone sternly. Her calmness surprised me. There was an echo of disgruntled agreement. Dad and I sat down beside our respective wives – our reception was, predictably chilly.

"I'll go first," I volunteered, taking a deep breath to shore up my fortitude. "The day before Aro left, he asked me to take a walk with him. I didn't really understand at first, but the gist of it is – Aro wants me to work for him."

"What?" breathed Bella incredulously. I took her hand in mine and squeezed gently. She was rigid with shock. "Go on," she encouraged softly, "there must be more?"

I nodded. "Yes. Aro threatened to harm us, and he … targeted Bella specifically, if I didn't agree," I revealed reluctantly. I gazed into Bella's eyes, begging for her understanding and forgiveness. Her chocolate eyes held mine unblinkingly. "I _had_ to agree – I had no choice," I said urgently, speaking to Bella directly.

"I understand, Edward," (I breathed a sigh of relief) "that doesn't mean I forgive you for lying to me," she clarified. "Is there anything else?" she asked. I nodded slowly.

Jasper frowned in confusion. He leaned forward, his eyes boring into mine relentlessly. "What 'work' (he drew air quotes) does he want you to do?"

I shifted tensely. "Apart from the usual role of a soldier working for a crime lord, he, ahm, he wants me to give him classified information."

Mom gasped. "You didn't agree, did you?"

"Well, yes," (they all gasped) "I didn't have a choice, but I have _no intentions_ of committing treason – please believe me. The only classified intel Aro will get from me is what I or the navy dream up, or decide to tell him, to trap him."

Rosalie spoke up. "I think I speak for all of us when I ask, why didn't you tell us this?" She received nods of agreement. "If you plan to rat Aro out to the authorities, we would have understood you agreeing to protect us."

I swallowed and remained silent, Dad eventually taking pity on me. "Aro told Edward he would return for him before the end of the year ... "

"_Him_?" interrupted Alice.

Dad nodded. "Yes, _him_. Aro threatened to take Edward by force. We would have been abandoned here with no hope for rescue, or …"

"Or?" asked Bella fearfully.

I answered. "Aro would kill you all." I struggled to keep the shrillness from my voice. "He was quite matter-of-fact about it."

Bella gulped, then asked curiously, softly, "What was the specific threat against me?"

I turned to face her, grasping her upper arms. "It doesn't _matter_, Bella! I wouldn't allow …"

"Shush, Edward, just tell me, baby." She reached up to cup my face, and I rubbed against her palm. "I can take it – you don't need to protect me anymore – you've already done that," she said lovingly.

I turned my face away for a moment to swipe a sudden tear from my eyes. "Bella … he threatened to take you away from me if I didn't cooperate. He said (I caught myself on a half sob) he said I'd _never_ see you or our baby again."

She pulled me into her arms and stroked my unruly hair. "Oh, Edward." I allowed myself the comfort of her loving arms and touch. I knew that later on, I'd have to face the wrath of a wife I'd willfully lied to by omission.

I heard the sound of cups clicking against saucers and sipping, as everyone drank tea and gave us a few moments of privacy. "We have more to talk about, Edward," Bella whispered near my ear. "I understand _why_ you lied to me, but it's _not_ okay, do you understand?"

I nodded, pulling away to kiss her gently on the mouth. "I understand." I figure I'd gotten off lightly, considering. "Um, Dad?" He was comforting Mom who was agitatedly rubbing her hands up and down her thighs.

He looked up. "Yes, ahm, yes … it's my turn," he admitted.

"There's more?" shrieked Mom.

Larry reached over and took Mom's hand in his – he'd been unusually quiet. "Eeet's okay, Meesers Lady Esme, Doctor Pops deed good. He telled Meester Aro dat Alec can't stay here wif us, coz hees a deelinkwink wif bad thoughts about geerls in hees head."

Rose and Alice almost choked on their tea, and Mom brought her hand up to her rapidly heaving chest. "What?!" she gasped.

"Please stay calm, Maisy!" Dad implored her. "Stress is not good for you or the baby. Breathe with me – that's it – in, out, in out. Good," he soothed as he stroked her back.

It seemed that Larry was quite the spy – first Aro's FedEx envelope and now eavesdropping on what I assumed Aro thought was a private conversation with Dad. "Hey, Larry?" He looked up, chewing on his fingers worriedly while Mom struggled to calm herself. "When did Dad tell Aro that Alec was a delinquent who had bad thoughts about girls?"

"When Meester Aro talkt to Doctor Pops, b'fore you came back from the beach after Meester Aro. Doctor Pops say no Alec or the deals off!"

My eyes widened in surprise. "You knew about that?" He nodded furiously. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Coz Meester Aro is scary," he said simply, "and you looked real mad."

I nodded in understanding. Larry had been the most relieved of all of us when the Volturi departed the island. "Did you hear anything else?"

Larry shook his head. "Nah. Dat Jane came round and me's went to feed the goats."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Dad, I'll tell the rest of it, if you like?" He nodded gratefully. "Okay, apart from what Larry overheard, Aro offered Dad additional medical supplies and provisions for infants, _if_ he agreed to be his personal physician. He was expected to leave when Aro returned for me."

Mom gulped. "Really?"

Dad answered. "Yes." He nodded for me to continue.

"Aro said he'd razz the entire compound and everything in it, if Dad didn't agree. Um, with the babies coming, Dad didn't want us to lose everything we'd built." I decided not to mention the threat against Larry at the moment – I think they had enough information to chew over.

"Carlisle, is this true?" asked Rosalie.

Dad said it was. "After Aro secured my acceptance of his … job offer, he called the ship and ordered more supplies. They were delivered to me the morning of the day they departed, before dawn."

"Where's the baby stuff?" Alice said curiously.

"Hidden in my office until they're needed," Dad admitted.

"Don't you think we'd wonder where it came from?" Alice inquired. "I mean, it's not like you phoned in a mail order, is it? Wait, that's exactly what you did! How were you going to explain it?"

Dad scratched his head, looking chagrined. "I-I don't know," he finally admitted.

Mom rubbed her belly absently. She was calmer now, but still slightly agitated. "You really believe he would have done it, Carlisle … destroy everything – the house, the animals, and the garden?"

Dad kissed her forehead. "Yes, Esme, I really believe he would have done it. I believe he would have made good on all his threats – it's in his nature. But we're safe for now and we have the things we need to survive until we're rescued. And if not, when Aro returns, we'll negotiate passage for all of us," he said, injecting confidence into his voice.

"I still don't understand why you kept this to yourselves," interjected Emmett angrily. "What's changed? I mean, you've been lying to us for three months – what's another eight months or so," he accused sarcastically.

"Emmett." Jazz cautioned, shaking his head.

Emmett reared to his feet, standing over us like a furious giant. "No, Jazz! We had a family agreement, remember? Thou shalt not lie or keep important information from each other! I think all this (he gestured wildly) counts as important information!"

"Now, just you hold on, Emmett!" I spat, leaping to my feet, fists clenched by my side. "We did what we thought …"

Dad stood hurriedly, placing himself between us. "No, Edward, it's okay, he has a right to be angry," he admitted in a conciliatory tone. He turned and faced his eldest son. "You're absolutely correct, Emmett, we did lie and we're both mortally ashamed, but there was so much at stake. Aro singled us out, making threats we knew he could and would follow through on. You don't know how hard it's been on me worrying about your mother. I can't lose …" He broke off, bringing a fist to his mouth.

"Emmett," I said, "the threat to all of you remains very real. We can't trust Aro at his word, which is why we've been hoarding supplies in the caves."

Unable to sit still, Jasper strode about the room. "You planned to hide us there when Aro returned, didn't you?" he said intuitively.

I nodded. "Yes. If Aro can't find you, we figure he'll take Dad and me and leave you all alone – safe and alive."

Bella tugged on my hand. I crouched down on the floor in front of her. Tears leaked from her eyes and she sniffed. "Would you have told us you were leaving, Edward – left us a note?"

"We hadn't thought that far ahead, Bella," Dad answered for me.

"So, Emmett's question remains unanswered," observed Alice. "Why are you telling us this now?"

Standing up, I faced the room, hiding my hands in the pockets of my shorts. "Guilt," I admitted quietly. "We feel guilty for withholding vital information. And ultimately, we weren't being fair to anyone. We work better as a team – we find solutions as a team."

"Yes, we do," agreed Mom softly, "tomorrow. Help me up, please, Carlisle, I want to go to bed."

Dad reached around Mom and pulled her to her feet. "Are you alright, Maisy?"

"No, I'm not, and _don't _call me Maisy right now – you don't deserve to," she told Dad sharply. He winced. "We'll talk about this later, when I've had time to think." Dad's lips pursed, but he knew when to plead his case and when to remain silent. "Larry, please help me upstairs." He shuffled over to Mom holding out his arm. "Good night," she said dully, walking regally out of the room.

Dad ran agitated hands through his hair, collapsing into a club chair. "Shit!" Jasper clasped his shoulder in a consoling gesture.

"Come on, Alice, let's call it a night. The dinner dishes can wait until tomorrow. G'night," they said in unison, disappointment evident in their voices. They left the living room quietly.

Rose squirmed on the sofa. "I'm done in as well, Em," she said wanly, "I feel like I'm going to explode." He appeared not to hear his wife. She nudged his leg with a raised foot. "Emmett?" He blinked, waking up from his distraction.

"Let's get you to bed," he said solicitously, helping Rose to stand. She leaned on him heavily, Rose patting Dad's arm kindly as they passed by. Emmett, however, wasn't so forgiving, shooting us with sideways looks of displeasure, as he guided Rose from the room.

"I'm sorry," Dad said softly to their departing backs.

"Me too," I added.

Rose paused and turned her head. "We know." We watched them disappear from view.

"You should both head up, as well," Dad suggested to Bella and I.

"What about you, Carlisle?" Bella asked, getting to her feet to hug him. Her kind heart knew how hard this was on him. Mom was really pissed at him. I'd never seen her so quietly angry – ever – not even after the lava tube fiasco.

Dad ruffled his hair with hands that tremored. "I'm going to … take some time – perhaps I'll have a drink. There's still a bit of scotch left." He loosed a bark of ironic laughter. "For the first time since we've been here, I actually feel like I need one."

Bella and I watched him worriedly. Dad was not a big drinker and I didn't want him drowning his sorrows in liquor. "I'll join you," I offered.

"No, no, son, I need to be alone for awhile." His eyes were sad pools. "I'll be up soon. Go on, go to bed," he encouraged.

I hesitated, but Bella nudged me. "Um, alright. We'll work this out, Dad. You were right – I should have listened to you sooner."

He sighed. "We both made mistakes …"

"Carlisle!" shrieked Rosalie from the foyer. "Carlisle, my water broke!"

Dad and Bella flew into action, hurrying out of the room. I'd been abandoned for a bigger cause.

"Edward! Get in here and help your brother move Rose to my office!" Dad's urgent direction galvanized me into action.

Pandemonium reigned supreme in the foyer. Rosalie was on the stairs in a sort of half squat with one hand clenched around the banister, and the other scrunched in Emmett's hair, as she huffed through a contraction. Mom and Alice were on the stairs above Rose, coaching her to breathe, while Bella was behind her, massaging her lower spine. Clear, pinkish liquid dripped down the stairs to pool on the floor.

"Okay, Rosalie, let go of Emmett's hair – there's a good girl – now, I want you to back slowly down the stairs. Emmett and Edward will help you." Dad motioned me forward. I tiptoed around the fluid on the treads, squeezing by Bella who murmured reassuring words to Rose.

"I want to give birth in my room – in our bed," Rose demanded of Dad, as Emmett and I shuffled her into the office and over to the examination bed.

He patted her shoulder reassuringly. "You can, Rose, but I want to examine you first. If everything looks okay, we'll help you upstairs." Dad washed and dressed quickly in a gown and gloves while we helped Rose onto the bed. "You can go, Edward," he said distractedly, whipping a cloth off of a tray of sterile instruments. I scuttled from the room, immensely grateful and relieved. "Okay, Emmett, hold Rosalie's hand while we have a look. "Bella, please scrub in – you're about to have another lesson in obstetrics." I pulled the door closed quickly behind me, only to be confronted by the concerned and eager faces of Mom, Alice, Jasper and Larry.

"Eees the baby borned yet, Meester Red?" asked Larry naively. My eyes widened – how do I explain labor and delivery when I had absolutely no clue myself. Mom came to the rescue – God, love her!

She patted Larry's hand. "Not yet. It will be hours until the baby makes its appearance."

He pouted in disappointed. "Oh."

"Don't worry, you'll be uncle Larry before you know it," Mom reassured him, smiling indulgently. "Why don't you go and get some rest while you're still able to. Once Rose really gets going, you won't be getting any sleep. You too, Edward, Jasper. There's nothing you can do right now. Alice, Bella and I will stay with Rose through the night."

"O-okay," I said agreeably, immeasurably relieved that my role was over. As we three were hotfooting up the stairs we heard Rose huffing from the exam room.

"He-he-he-huh-huh-huh."

"That's it Rose, and relax – the contraction is over," we heard Dad say. "You're moving along a bit quicker than I expected – this might be a short labor," Dad relayed cheerfully. "Okay, let's get ready to move you upstairs."

Jasper, Larry and I gaped at each other with terrified expressions. By unspoken agreement, we scuttled up the stairs and into the blessed sanctuary of our rooms. SLAM. SLAM. SLAM. I leaned against my closed door, breathing roughly, listening to the tinkle of laughter as Mom and Alice chortled at our expense.

"Pussies," Alice called up the stairs.

…

I slept fitfully for half the night, periodically waking as Rose huffed and moaned and swore through her contractions. It was indeed a short labor lasting around five hours. I'd overhead Mom and Alice talking in the hallway, saying that first labors can take over 20 hours! After a series of rapid and painful contractions (the loud cursing and grunting clued me in) I thanked the Lord I was born a male. When I woke for the last time around 4 a.m. Dad and Emmett were encouraging Rose to push.

"That's it, Rosie – PUSH!" yelled Emmett. "PUSH!"

Rosalie grunted and I heard what sounded like a slap. "Aaaaagh. Shut-the-fuck-up, Emmett, or I swear to God!"

"I'm only trying to help, Rosie," Emmett whined. "Dad said …"

"I don't CARE what he said! SHUT … Aaaaaaagggghhhh … MOTHER FUCKER!"

"Good, Rose, good. We're nearly there," Dad crooned ignoring Rose's cursing. "The head's crowning. A few more pushes and you're done."

I decided to get out of bed and loiter in the hallway. I wasn't getting any more sleep anyway and I wanted to meet my new niece or nephew. By the sounds of it, it wouldn't be long. Dragging on the previous evenings clothes, I funneled my fingers through my hair in a failed attempt to tame the unruly mop. When I yanked open my door, Jasper and Larry were pacing the corridor, sliding sideways to pass each other at the halfway mark.

"Any news yet?" I asked.

Jasper shook his head. "Not for awhile, now. Mom and Alice are in there with them. You know as much as we do."

I nodded, cringing as Rose worked vocally through another hard contraction and push. Larry had returned to pacing the corridor relentlessly, elbowing his way between us as he passed in each direction. His head was down and he counted under his breath in time with his footsteps. It seemed to calm him, though after awhile, I found it annoying – like many of Larry's coping techniques.

"How's Mom?" I asked to distract myself.

"She's tired, but she won't leave Rose," Jazz replied – he looked frazzled. "Emmett came out a few hours ago and asked us to bring one of the club chairs and a footstool upstairs. Dad's been making her rest as much as he can, but you know Mom – she's stubborn – and she's not very happy with him right now."

"Yeah, I get that, but she needs to take it easy," I said. "She's not been looking too good lately."

"I know, but she's not about to miss the birth of her first grandchild," he retorted.

"Did you get any sleep?" I asked him. He rubbed his face tiredly.

"Not much. You?"

"Dozed off and on."

"Hmm. Things sound like they're heating up in there," he remarked after a particularly bloodcurdling screech of pain from within. We moved closer to the door, unable to help ourselves now that the main event was here. Dad was speaking calmly as he coached both Rose and Bella.

"Okay, Bella, guide the head out, that's it – Rose stop pushing for a moment, honey – pant to help you control the urge. Good. Now, Bella, feel around the neck for the umbilical cord and move it out of the way – that's it – now, assist the head as it turns to the side and the shoulders rotate. You don't need to force it," he coached, "just guide it. Okay, Rose, on the next contraction, I want you to give one big push to pass the shoulders out."

"O-okay," she moaned pitifully, "but I'm so tired."

"I know you are, and you're doing so well. You'll hold your son or daughter real soon," Dad encouraged.

"Emmett. Emmett!"

We heard scuffling. "I'm here, Rosie!"

"Hold my hand," she moaned. "I need to puuuusssshhhh … Aaaaaggghh!"

"AAAAAAGGGGHHHH." Emmett, as Rose crushed his hand. "Aaaaaagggghhh!" Rose as she passed a watermelon through something the size of a walnut shell – followed seconds later by ecstatic and relieved sobbing from both of them. "Waaaaghhh, waaaaghhh!" The newest member of the family after Dad suctioned the baby's nose and mouth.

"It's a girl!" announced Dad, "a beautiful, healthy little girl. Congratulations!"

Alice came to the door wiping tears of joy from her face. "Rose is fine and so is the baby," she assured us, grinning widely. She leapt into her husband's arms and hugged him. "It will be awhile before you can come in and see them, so make yourselves useful and prepare some tea."

We nodded our understanding, smiling with relief. "How's Emmett?"

"Oh, he's great – as proud as can be. He's holding the baby, cooing nonsense and counting her fingers and toes," Alice bragged.

"Hey, Larry?" I called out. He was still pacing the corridor, lost in his own little world. He stopped dead and looked up at our grinning faces. "It's a girl!" He rushed toward us.

"Really? Eeet's all over now? Mees Rosie won't cry and yell anymore?"

Alice climbed off her husband and hugged Larry. "Aw, sweetie, yes, it's all over. Rose is fine."

Larry grinned with relief. "What's her name, dat baby geerl?"

Alice threw her hands up with a flourish, laughing. "Don't know yet. We'll have to wait and see."

…

Baby Mia Carlene Cullen weighed in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces and she measured 22 inches from foot to the crown of her white-blonde head. Her parents decided on Mia as her first given name, because in Latin it meant 'Wished-for-child'. Since they'd been married for over 10 years – Mama Rose said Mia was their gift from God. The new parents chose Carlene as her second given name to honor her granddaddy – who was almost as proud as the little girl's papa.

…

A/N: Photos for the chapter are on my blog at jkazziefanfiction dot wordpress dot com.

**Disclaimer:** I've never been pregnant or been present at a birth. My knowledge comes from YouTube clips, internet research and television. I tried to make it realistic (as ignorant of the process as I am) without being overly graphic, since the birth was being told from Edward's POV … and no one needs all the gory details any way – especially if you've gone through it.

**Wild or farmed goat** is delicious and is very lean. If you've never eaten it, and if it's available in your area, then be adventurous and try it – but don't tell your family until after they've eaten it since I know a lot of people hesitate to try unfamiliar foods. A leg of goat cooks similarly to a leg of lamb (about 180c to 200c or 375f to 425f), but because it doesn't have a thick layer of fat like lamb, you need to baste if more frequently or use an oven bag. I roasted a leg of goat last week as research for this chapter and Mum and I really enjoyed it. I cut slits in the meat for sprigs of rosemary (you could use garlic) and I seasoned it with sea salt and cracked pepper before roasting. I served it with roasted potatoes, baked onions and roasted butternut squash, baby peas and gravy – just like the Cullens roast dinner. I thought it tasted like veal. Mum thought it tasted like lamb. People on the internet have said it tastes like beef or lamb. In any event, it was delicious. For those readers living in Australia, goat meat is available at Coles supermarkets (in Sydney) in the meat fridge where the kangaroo is kept.

**My USA vacation** was fantastic, but exhausting. My friend and I spent a week in New York staying in the midtown area on 57th Street not far from Broadway. We walked all over NYC before discovering the benefits of the subway and the bus system a few days before we left. Central Park was absolutely beautiful – it has to be the most glorious city park I've ever seen. I shopped at Tiffany's – twice – and spent a lot of time in Bloomingdale's.

We took a tour to Brooklyn and ate Pizza (yum!); we went to Katz's Deli in Soho (remember the famous orgasm scene in _When Harry met Sally_) and had the best Reuben sandwich I've **ever** eaten. I also sampled the NY Cheesecake from the Carnegie Deli – delicious. There is so much to see and do in NYC that you could spend weeks there. If only the accommodation wasn't so expensive! We also went to the Hamptons for the day (home to the rich and famous) and on our last day on the east coast we took the train to Washington DC.

I have to say that Amtrak is a great way to travel short distances. It only took 3 hours in each direction (there is a fast train as well, but it's more expensive) and we only had to be at the station 30 minutes before departure. The train was comfortable with free Wi-Fi and each car had two lavatories (twice the size of an airplane bathroom), and you just take your luggage on board with you. There was also a dining car. Given how long it takes to get through airport security and luggage claim for even the shortest flight, taking the train is a quick, easy, reasonably cheap, and a convenient alternative to air travel – and you get to see the countryside.

Disneyland and the California Adventure Park were great fun, especially California Adventure. I've been to Disneyland before, so that was fun as usual, but California Adventure was something else again. I **loved **the _Radiator Springs Race Cars_ (I went on it twice – once during the day and again at night). The _Grizzly Mountain River Rapids_ ride was a hoot and since it was so hot in LA when we were there, getting wet was welcome. The other great ride is _Soaring over California_. It's not so much a ride as it is an experience and well worth the line wait. I shored up my courage and went on the _Screamin'_ roller-coaster ride (it has a 360 degree loop) on the last day and lined up in the single-rider queue before I could talk myself out of it. I figured that if two seniors weren't afraid to ride the roller-coaster, then I shouldn't be either. The other scary ride I did on the last day was the _Hollywood Hotel Tower of Terror._ It's an elevator ride that moves up and down at a rapid speed without warning – it was fun.

Hollywood was next on our agenda, but I'm afraid to say that I didn't enjoy my time there – it's a little … out there, for my taste, though we did see the celebrities come out for the new Star Trek movie – I think it was the premiere or it might have been a promotional event. After Hollywood, we spent three days at Santa Monica – much more my scene. The shopping in the 3rd Street Boulevard open mall was great and we spent another hour in Tiffany's. The pier was nice, but there's not a lot to do there and after Disneyland and California Adventure, the rides looked a bit tame and not worth the bother.

For those thinking of traveling, it's a 14 – 15 hour flight between Sydney/Melbourne and LAX. We flew on the A380 and I was lucky enough to travel business class free of charge, because my friend is an airline employee and I traveled on her staff benefits.


	44. Chapter 44 - United We Stand

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer is the author and owner of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

…

A/N: Thank you to EsmeCullen47 for her editing skills and pre-reading.

Sorry for the long absence, but writer's block really stinks and my health isn't always the best. I get very tired and I sleep a lot more than I'd like, but I've slowly been working on this chapter for a couple of months now. I've also worked through the remainder of the Wrecked chapter outlines with my beta EsmeCullen47 and we've estimated that Wrecked will finish on chapter 50, which will be the epilogue. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed or PM'd me and I apologize for not responding, but I am, as always, appreciative of the reader support for my story.

This chapter is written in multiple POVs. Lemon alert.

…

_Where we left off: At the end of April 2013, baby Mia Carlene was born after a 5 hour labor. Rose and her daughter are doing fine. Emmett is doting on his precious little girl, though his poor, crushed hand is a little worse for wear. Before the birth, Carlisle and Edward confessed to the family the secret they've been keeping about Aro's threats to all of their safety. Both of them are in serious trouble with their wives – not for the deal they made, but for keeping it a secret so long._

…

Chapter 44 – United We Stand

**Esme's POV – End of May 2013**

It had been a month since my granddaughter had been born on the 29th of April. Mia is simply precious and eats like a little piggy just like her dad. Luckily, Rose's milk production had reached dairy-like proportions within days of the birth and she was able to keep up with Mia's demanding and frequent dietary needs.

Just this morning at breakfast, Emmett had been rocking a mewling and impatient Mia in his arms, while Rose shoveled food into her mouth as fast as she could. Within minutes, the baby's whimpering had escalated to full blown wails of fury as her hunger overcame her and she refused to be consoled. Rose whined about her _new life as a carton of milk _as she took the baby into the living room to nurse.

I knew some women never produced enough milk to feed their babies no matter how much they wanted to, and I was beginning to worry that I might be one of them this time around. My breasts were fuller, but they weren't as large as I remembered them being this close to my due date when I'd been pregnant with the boys. I worried that I wouldn't be able to feed my own baby and it scared me, and because of the tension between me and Carlisle, I hadn't discussed my worries with him. I simply buried them deep inside and prayed that when the time came, I would miraculously produce enough food for my precious child.

I knew in my heart that the cold shoulder treatment I was giving my husband had to end. He'd made a mistake – a big one – but in all honesty, I can't say that I might not have done the same thing had I been in his shoes. Bella and I had talked about our situations while enjoying a cup of tea on the verandah this morning. She confessed to having partially cleared the air with Edward, unable to stand his moping one moment longer. That and she missed the closeness they once shared, however they still had things to settle between them and they were taking off for a couple of hours to talk in private.

Squirming a little in discomfort, I rubbed my swollen stomach where the baby was making her presence known. She wriggled into a more comfortable position in the confines of her temporary home, her head bumping up against my ribs. I pulled my blouse up to bare the tightly stretched skin to the warm air and watched the skin ripple and roll, smiling lovingly when the outline of a tiny hand and foot pushed against my stroking hand.

Her position was another thing that added to my worry. From experience, I knew she should be in the head down position by now, but she refused to turn. A breech birth was the very worst thing that could happen when a natural birth was a certainty rather than an option. I had every confidence in Carlisle if he _needed _to deliver our child by Caesarian, but I also knew it was the last thing he wanted to do without the strict sanitary conditions of a hospital, and lord knows, we didn't have that here as much as Carlisle tried.

Standing up, I smoothed the soft cotton top over my stomach and stretched before waddling my way down the steps and across the compound to the garden. I let myself in through the gate, pushing Jezebel away automatically. The plot of vegetables and fruiting vines were thriving in the warm, humid conditions. One of the things we didn't really have to worry about in our isolation were transmittable diseases – those affecting humans, plants or animals – life just thrived here on Isabella Island.

Shuffling around the plot, I bent over to pull a few stray weeds tossing them to the impatient goat who was matching me step for step on the other side of the fence, until I came to where the citrus seedlings were growing strong in gourd pots. All those months ago when we'd first arrived on Isabella Island, I'd managed to salvage the seeds from a rotting lemon and a moldy orange and I had great hopes for the seedlings I was nurturing – I just wished they were mature enough to produce fruit – right now!

For months now, I had been craving oranges and being unable to satisfy the craving was driving me insane. I'd tried everything to simulate the taste and color using crushed tropical fruits mixed with quantities of lime juice, but nothing really worked. My liquid concoctions just weren't the same as drinking real orange juice no matter how much I experimented. I never, ever imagined how frustrating it could be to want something so badly and have to accept that I simply can't have it!

Finally, totally frustrated and desperate to assuage my cravings, I sliced a lime into quarters and sucked those little green babies dry. I demolished half a dozen before my craving was satisfied and I'd emptied the bowl. Now the craving was back – it was never really gone – and I considered sending Jasper and Larry to the fruit grove to collect some more.

"What did that poor tree do to you, Mom?" asked Edward as he quietly let himself into the garden.

I turned toward the voice at my side. "What?" I asked distractedly.

"You were glaring at that poor tree. I'm surprised it didn't shrivel up from fright," Edward joked.

"Oh, it's nothing really. I'm just craving oranges and wishing I could snap my fingers and have this tree fully grown and laden with fruit."

"The limes aren't cutting it anymore?"

I sighed. "Not really. They taste similar, but nothing beats the taste of the real thing."

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing, Edward? It's not your fault."

"It was my boat. I get to carry the blame," he said.

I smiled wanly. Silly Edward, always taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and always trying on his own to fix our problems. "That type of talk is what got us into our current predicament, Edward," I chided. "Put aside that thinking when you talk to Bella if you don't want to be sleeping on the sofa for the next three months," I counseled. "You've got to _stop_ carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. It's not fair to any of us."

Edward grimaced. "I will. I'd better go get ready. We're leaving shortly."

"Yes, I need to meet your father, too." My youngest son escorted me back into the house, leaving me at the foot of the stairs. "Good luck, son. Don't screw up again."

He snorted and combed through his shaggy hair. "I don't know about that, Mom, but I promise I'll try."

Thirty minutes later the house was empty of children and I was resting on one of the chaises in the upstairs lounge sipping a glass of water. The ceiling fan was whirring softly above the seating area, stirring the humid air and creating a welcome breeze. Carlisle entered the open room carrying a tray of delicacies to tempt my appetite. He placed it on the coffee table and sat down opposite me, an apprehensive expression writ all over his face. I hadn't made it easy on him lately and I felt the shame of my own disgrace heating me from the inside out until my face was aflame and I felt compelled to look at my wringing hands because I couldn't look the love of my life in the eyes.

Enough was enough. I was behaving as though my husband of over thirty years had committed a crime against humanity when all he'd done was do his best to protect me and his children from harm – exactly what a man of his generation and upbringing had been taught to do. Carlisle had instilled those same values into our three boys and it had made them into better men, because not one of them ever balked at stepping up to the batter's plate when it really counted. I was proud of my husband and it was about time I reminded him of that fact.

I looked up. "Did the kids all get away safely?"

Carlisle answered as he poured out two glasses of sweetened, iced moringa tea. "Yes. Bella and Alice prepared them all picnic baskets full of goodies for lunch and they all have island phones –" He trailed off and grinned at my confused expression. "Conch shells," he clarified.

I giggled. "Oh, island phones – I like that."

"They do the trick in an emergency," Carlisle said as he handed me a frosty glass – the ice tinkled melodiously. "They're our very own 911 emergency system."

I took a sip of the deliciously, refreshing drink that contained a squeeze of lime juice to cut the sweetness and I smiled – my husband was pulling out all the stops. "I wonder if we joined the shells with strings whether we could talk on them like we used to as kids with tin cans," I joked.

Carlisle blinked and stared at me. "My God, Esme, you're a genius!" Carlisle yelled. "Acoustic telephones are a brilliant idea! The range will be limited to probably no more than five or six hundred feet, but if we placed them in strategic places surrounding the compound, we'd have an early warning system."

I frowned. "Really? You think that would work? My brothers and I only played with about fifty feet of string when we were kids."

Carlisle laughed joyously. "Yes, Maisy! I really think it will work. I can't wait for the boys to come back so we can experiment," he said, a boyish expression on his face. "But first, these next couple of hours are about you and me," he added almost shyly.

"Yes, they are," I agreed sitting up to swing my legs around to rest on the floor. I patted the cushioned chaise. "Come sit beside me, husband. I've hated the distance between us this past month and I know it's mostly my fault."

Carlisle joined me eagerly, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "We're both at fault, Esme. I shouldn't have kept something so important from you and then expected you to be okay with it when I confessed."

I squeezed the knee of his leg pressing up against mine. "And I shouldn't have punished you for so long when I probably would have done the same thing," I confessed.

"I'm sorry," we said together, laughing softly.

Carlisle gently and lovingly brushed the hair from my face. He looked into my suddenly teary eyes – I'd missed his touch so much – and I leaned into his body gratefully, a sigh of relief leaving my parted lips. Carlisle cupped my face and kissed away the tears, his lips tracing both sides of my face until he reached my mouth. He kissed me, injecting the gesture with all of the love he held in his heart and I sagged against him, returning his love a hundredfold.

Without conscious thought, I climbed over my husband's lap, straddling his legs and pushing his spine against the cushions while I accosted his mouth, bound and determined to capture a month of missing intimacy in a single embrace. Carlisle returned my passion, slipping his hands beneath my shirt to stroke my burgeoning body and hold me tightly against him. My shirt and his had somehow disappeared and we reveled in the skin-to-skin contact as we attacked each other, only pulling apart when we both needed to breathe.

He cupped my swollen breasts and flicked his thumbs over the engorged and darkening nipples and I felt his ardor pressing against my welcoming mound insistently. Gasping with desire, I ground against him looking for friction to relieve the pressure building inside of me. If there was one thing about this pregnancy that was normal, it was my increased sex drive and I'd had to take care of things myself in recent weeks or I would have gone mad.

Carlisle's eyes were dark with passion as I'm sure mine were and his rapid breathing matched my own as we both tried to control our ardor. If he took me to bed right now, I knew I wouldn't offer a word of objection. In fact, I was about to suggest it when our child objected to being compressed between us and kicked her father hard in the stomach. Her persistent kicks and tiny fist jabs soon had him leaning away from me reluctantly and his large hands abandoned my aching breasts to stroke over my exposed stomach, soothing the child within.

"My daughter," he whispered, "I love you dearly, but you're really killing my buzz," he groused. She responded to his voice with another push of her foot against his hand resting on my stomach.

I laughed gently and leaned forward resting my forearms against his chest to keep the pressure off my stomach. "So you agree with me that our baby is a girl?" I whispered into his neck.

"Yes," he said, stroking my back with one hand and my stomach with the other. "We need to decide on names we like," he whispered.

"I know, but there's nothing that stands out to me," I told him. "I know I don't want to name her Enid," I said carefully, reluctant to hurt his feelings. "I know that Enid was your mother's name, but it's so old fashioned and our daughter will be a 21st century woman. I want her to have a name that is uniquely her own and which reflects our hopes and dreams for her," I explained.

Carlisle pursed his lips thoughtfully for a moment and then he nodded. "I agree. The boys all have family names, so I think it's time to break the mold with our little miracle."

We spent some time cuddling on the chaise discussing possible names, but none of the suggestions really spoke to us and we put the discussion aside when my stomach grumbled hungrily.

"Time to feed you both," Carlisle said as he sat up and pulled on his shirt.

He handed me my discarded bra and shirt and I slipped the top on reluctantly, foregoing the too tight bra. The shirt fabric rasped against my sensitive nipples making me hiss in discomfort. They craved the gentle, soothing attention of my husband's warm palms and nimble fingers, but now was not the time. "Perhaps later," I whispered.

"What did you say?" Carlisle asked as he removed the protective cloth from the tray of food he'd brought with him. It was really two trays – one on top of the other, which was full of ice to keep the food cold and fresh.

"Nothing, Carl. What have you brought me for lunch? I'm ravenous," I said, and I really was.

I leaned forward to peer at the delicacies strewn across the tray. My mouth watered and my eyes ate up the treats: poached oysters in a lime dressing sitting in half shells; cooked shrimp, lobster and scallops – some loose and some grilled on skewers with vegetables; shavings of fried, cured pork wrapped around grilled lengths of zucchini and red peppers and my favorite: stacks of soft goats cheese rounds, tomatoes and wild basil on arrowroot crackers. The platter was scattered here and there with wild figs and almonds, mango slices and lime quarters. Tiny pots of fresh yogurt and honey completed the feast.

I gasped tearily. "Did you do all this for me?"

Carlisle sat beside me and hugged me close, kissing the side of my head. "Yes, my love. I had a bit of help from Bella, but otherwise it was all me. Do you like it?" he asked nervously.

"Yes!" I wailed.

His eyes widened worriedly. "Then why are you crying?!"

"I'm just so happy," I sniffled, wiping my dripping nose on the handkerchief Carlisle produced from his pocket. "Has it been so long that you've forgotten about pregnancy hormones, Carlisle?"

He laughed and looked chagrined. "I admit it has been, my darling. Rosalie was more irritable than teary during her pregnancy and Bella seems to be her usual calm self for the most part – although that might change in the next few months as she progresses. Now dry your tears and let's eat…and then we can talk about the elephant filling the room."

"Okay," I whimpered. I cuddled against my husband and he hand fed me morsels from the tray until I was stuffed and feeling a little sleepy, but I forced myself awake so that we could clear the air and get our marriage back on track. "That was delicious," I complimented as I wiped my hands on a cloth napkin.

Carlisle's chest puffed up proudly. "It was pretty good, wasn't it?" He covered the tray with the discarded cloth and stood up to take it over to the small dining table so it was out of the way. When he returned, he poured each of us another glass of iced tea and we sipped it uneasily in the growing tension.

"Esme, I'm sorry I lied –" he said, just as I said, "Carlisle, I'm sorry I pushed you away –" "You go first," we caroled, eager to allow the other the first chance to speak.

I breathed deeply and took the bull by the horns. "Why did you keep it from me, Carl? We've never kept big secrets from each other," I said, while squirming guiltily because I was keeping my own secrets.

Carl raked his hands through his silver blond hair. "At first I kept it from you because I didn't want to worry you. You seemed so frail while the Volturi were here – I've never seen you like that before. It…it frightened me," he explained quietly.

I could see in his face that he was telling me the truth and I nodded in understanding. The stress of having those bastards here had almost been too much for me. I hadn't been feeling that well – tired and nauseated mostly – but having unwelcome visitors had just added to my malaise and I'd retreated to my room and this upstairs lounge where I'd tried to ignore the fact that one wrong comment or misinterpreted glance might have meant death for one, or even all of us.

"I _knew_ you weren't well, Esme, and you should have told me," he scolded. I blushed guiltily. "It was your deteriorating health and the future health of our child and our grandchildren that convinced me to accept Aro's deal. I knew that having all of the infant paraphernalia and extra medical supplies and drugs would make life so much easier for you – for all of us."

I sighed. How could I remain angry with Carlisle when his motives were so pure. "I understand, Carlisle, I really do, but you had months to confess – both you and Edward. We could have been weeks ahead on our weapons cache if we'd all known, and at least we all would've been prepared for when they come back. That's been the worst part – the unexpectedness of it all. First, it was James and then the Volturi – when is it all going to end, Carl?!" I cried.

My husband drew me into his arms for a cuddle and he rubbed my back soothingly while pressing kisses to the top of my head.

"I can't lose you, Carl," I sniffled into his shirt.

"Shush, Maisy, you'll make yourself ill," he crooned. "C'mon now, I'm _not_ going anywhere. We _will_ stay together when the Volturi return – even if we must hide in the volcano for weeks or months until we're sure they're gone."

I lifted my head and sniffed, wiping my nose with the hankie I still held as I stared at my husband incredulously. "Get real, Carlisle!" I hissed. "We can't live in a bloody volcano for months – not with three babies. We need to kill those bastards when they come back; not run and hide like scaredy cats!" I thumped the chaise with my fists.

Carl reared back comically, his blue eyes wide with shock. "Esme!"

"What?!" I snapped. "It's time we stopped being so nice to every asshole who comes along. This is _our_ island; this is _our _home and I'm fed up worrying if each day might bring another threat to our shores. You and Edward need to stop trying to protect us all – it's garbage and I'm not putting up with it anymore. I know I haven't handled threats well in the past, but things are different now," I said. I heaved to my feet leaving my poor husband stuttering on the chaise as I paced in front of him. "How many times have we proven that we work better as a team?! We need a plan and we'd better make it a bloody good one, because the only ones who are going to save us are _us_!"

"Esme, I don't…I don't…" He shook his head.

"What, Carlisle?! What don't you know? Spit it out."

He grinned and slowly stood up. "Esme Cullen, I don't know what to say. You are magnificent," he said wonderingly. "You've always been a pacifist like me, but you're showing a side I've never seen before. I-I think I like it," he said in amazement.

I blushed and lifted my chin a bit higher. "Damn straight. A lioness always protects her young, and this lioness," I pointed at my chest, "is taking the enemy on. We're going to beat them at their own game," I asserted. Tugging my shirt down over my heaving belly, I rested my clasped hands over the top of my stomach and looked my husband in the eyes. "Now, how do you suggest we start?"

Carlisle blinked slowly in confusion before he let loose a belly laugh. He stood and pulled me into his arms. "Oh, Esme, I love you," he chortled, his arms tightening like bands around me. His chest rumbled against my ear.

_Why was he laughing? I was being serious!_ I was about to pull back and berate him when he released me and pulled me over to the chaise. He wiped tears of mirth from his cheeks as we sat down. _What the hell is so funny?!_ I could feel anger percolating in my belly and my teeth ground together loudly.

"Stop laughing!" I yelled, as I pushed Carlisle away. "Oomph," I groaned as the percolation in my belly became a strong pain. I bent over at the waist, cradling my tight stomach. I felt like I was going to be sick as my mouth filled with saliva and I heard myself groan as the pain stretched across my abdomen.

"Esme!" cried Carl. "Esme, what is it? Are you in pain?"

_Fuck! Of course I was in pain. What type of fucking doctor was he?_ I turned my head to the side to glare up at him, breathing in and out slowly until the pain and nausea subsided. Carlisle eased me into a side reclining position on the chaise as I wiped the perspiration from my face with the hem of my shirt.

"I think they're Braxton Hicks contractions," I told him breathlessly. "I've had a few, but nothing this strong," I confessed reluctantly.

His mouth pursed in irritation. "You should have told me, Esme. What else haven't you told me?" he asked sternly. He stood over me with his arms crossed over his chest. I scowled, knowing the time had come to admit my concerns and his eyes narrowed suspiciously before my own skidded away guiltily. He always did know when I was hiding something. "Out with it, Esme!" he insisted.

I sighed. "Okay, but help me into a sitting position, would you; and hand me my drink?"

His lips thinned, but he did as I asked. He sat on the coffee table facing me, as he placed the glass of tea into my outstretched hand. I sipped it slowly as a delaying tactic, which further irritated Carlisle and he bounced one leg impatiently while he waited. Finally he huffed and I knew he'd reached his limit.

I handed Carlisle the empty glass. "Um, okay, apart from the Braxton Hicks, I've felt very tired and I'm…um…I'm worried because she hasn't turned yet and she should have," I said, bursting into tears, "and my boobs are too small," I wailed, holding them aloft in my hands.

Carlisle moved to the chaise and held me close while I cried away my worry. One large hand rubbed my shoulder and his other slipped under my damp shirt to feel my stomach. He pushed my pants down – held closed with a piece of rope through the belt loops – so he could examine my entire girth.

"Okay, that's enough, Esme," Carlisle said firmly as he pulled his hand away. "I know you're worried, but getting so upset is only going to stress you and the baby. Try to calm down and we'll deal with this together, hmm," he soothed.

I gasped and sniffed as I tried to get my crying under control. "I ne-need the hankie," I whined.

Carlisle searched for it and found it on the floor under the chaise. Shaking it out, he handed it to me and I wiped my eyes before pressing it against my wobbling mouth. Climbing into Carlisle's lap, I hid my face against his neck while he rocked me and crooned nonsense near my ear until I calmed down.

"Better?" he asked after about fifteen minutes.

"Yes," I whimpered, sniffing loudly into his shirt.

"Good. Let's go downstairs, Esme, so I can examine you properly."

I sniffled. "O-okay."

Carlisle helped me to climb off his lap and then he stood and reached down to take my hands and pull me to my feet. Holding me around the shoulders, we walked slowly past the bedrooms and down the stairs to his office where he helped me to sit up on the exam table. Handing me a glass of water from the covered carafe on his desk, he told me to sip it slowly and he pulled his rolling stool over to sit in front of me.

"This is the first and last time that you hide health concerns from me, Esme," Carlisle said quietly. "We're both guilty of trying to protect the other and it ends now." He rubbed his face tiredly with both hands. "I blame myself," he mumbled behind his palms, "I should never have listened to Edward –"

I almost didn't hear his last statement, it was spoken so quietly. "What?" I breathed, almost afraid to ask. My puffy eyelids narrowed as I stared at my husband's bent head. "What does Edward have to do with anything?" I asked firmly. All signs of my recent crying jag disappeared from my voice as irritation replaced worry.

I suspected the truth, knowing my masochistic son as I did – he'd had a tendency since childhood to blame himself for every unpleasant or trying experience to befall him or the rest of us. He'd overcome it in his late teens with the help of years of expensive therapy, but our sojourn on Isabella Island had brought it to the forefront of his personality once again.

"Carlisle, what about Edward?" He kept his face hidden like an ostrich. "It was his idea to keep everything a secret, wasn't it? What did he do? Did he harass you into keeping quiet for our own good?" Carlisle groaned. "He did, didn't he?!" I said shrilly. "You might as well admit it. He's been fussing around like an old sheepdog for months – driving everyone crazy. I couldn't understand why he seemed so bloody tortured when he thought no one was looking. Now I get it."

Carlisle looked up at me, a resigned expression across his face. "Are you going to get upset again?" he asked worriedly.

My lips pursed. "No. What's the point in that now…but you'd better tell him to knock that crap off, Carlisle. Edward needs to start being a team player. He is _not _central command around here and I will box his ears if he interferes in our relationship again!" I promised vehemently.

Carlisle gulped and nodded. "I'll talk to him," he agreed quickly, "but right now, I want to examine you."

I nodded and began to unbutton my shirt while Carlisle turned away to wash his hands and pull on a pair of gloves. I knew this was coming when he brought me down here and to be honest, I was relieved. Laying back on the table, I pushed my pants and underwear down and they fell off the end of the bed.

His examination was thorough and twenty minutes later, he helped me to sit up. He wrapped me in a hospital gown, tying it loosely in front like a bathrobe. He was quiet and pensive as he cleaned up and then he helped me off the bed.

"Let's go upstairs and talk," he said, taking my hand firmly in his. I gulped nervously and he squeezed it reassuringly as I padded slowly out of the office behind him. I was scared and I felt my mouth wobble as the tears threatened once again. What did he find? Once we were settled on our bed, propped up against the pillows, he began speaking in a calm tone.

"Your blood pressure is a little high, Esme. I'm going to take it four times per day until the baby is born. You are to rest as much as possible. In fact, I'd prefer it if you'd stay in bed –" I opened my mouth to object, but closed it with a snap when he shot me a stern glance. "But I know you won't, so, I will not fuss about it as long as your blood pressure doesn't get any higher. That means you must not exert yourself and you must keep yourself as cool as possible."

"Yes, Carlisle," I said meekly.

"I mean it, Esme," he added for good measure.

"I understand."

"Good. Next, I believe the cramps you're having _are_ Braxton Hicks contractions, but I don't like how strong the pain seemed to be, or the length of the cramp you had. I want to know when you have them from now on. I want you to rate the pain between one and ten – where ten is excruciating – and I want you to time the length of the cramp and how far apart they are."

I nodded and swallowed. "Yes, Carlisle."

He squeezed my hand comfortingly with his. "Now, my physical exam confirmed that the baby has not yet turned. She's in a complete breech position meaning that her bottom is down and her legs are tucked up against her belly and chest –" I stiffened worriedly. "Don't panic, Esme," Carlisle chided gently. "You're nearing thirty-six weeks pregnant and she may yet turn on her own in the next few weeks…but, your cervix is starting to ripen and I think you might go early," he told me softly. I raised worried eyes to his. "If she's still in the breech position at your thirty-eighth week, I'd like to try to turn her," Carlisle added quietly.

I swallowed. "Is…is that dangerous?" I asked.

He cuddled me close. "Not generally, sweetheart, but it will be uncomfortable and I don't have all of the drugs I'll need to relax your muscles. If we have to try it, we're only going to get one shot at it."

"Have…have you done it before – turned a baby?" I asked worriedly.

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, a few times, though not for many years. Don't worry, Esme, I won't do it unless I think it's absolutely necessary."

I sighed. "I'm not worried about your skill or ability to perform the procedure, Carl," I assured him. "I'm just worried about everything in general – my pregnancy and the threats to our safety. I don't want anything to happen to our little girl."

"Neither do I and more importantly, I don't want anything to happen to my beautiful wife, which is why I want you to remain relaxed, calm, rested and hydrated at all times."

"I will, Carl, I promise."

"Good." We laid quietly together for awhile and I was dozing off against Carlisle's chest when he whispered, "Esme, I want Bella to be present for all of your exams from now on – just as a precaution – and I don't want you left alone anymore. If the worst happens and the Volturi return before the baby is born, I want you and Bella to make your way to the grotto and wait there until someone comes for you. I'm going to stock the grotto with medical supplies as a safety measure and I'm going to give the same instruction to Bella and Edward."

I shook my head. "No, I want to stay with you –"

"Please do this for me, Esme," Carlisle beseeched. "I need to know you'll have someone close by who knows what to do if I can't be there." He leaned back and used one finger to gently lift my chin so he could see into my eyes. "Please, Esme."

My eyes watered with new tears and I nodded reluctantly as I sniffled quietly into Carlisle's neck. _Damned hormones._ I cried myself to sleep, safe in my husband's arms.

…

**Edward's POV**

I held the heavy picnic basket in one hand and Bella's small warm hand in my other as we walked eastward toward the Polynesian ruins and the small beach where we'd decided to spend the afternoon, allowing Emmett and Rose the use of the grotto since they had baby Mia with them.

We strolled in silence, my pace measured as I adapted my stride to Bella's shorter and slower one. I was nervous about the conversation to come. Bella was pissed with me again – really pissed and this time it was because I refused to teach her fighting skills while she was pregnant. Alice had become quite the little fighting machine after her months of training and she practiced with Jasper all the time now that he'd stopped being a pussy about it. He'd quit treating her like a delicate piece of china when she'd brought him down with a roundhouse kick that he never saw coming.

I sighed and Bella looked up at me inquiringly. I shook my head that it was nothing and she went back to thinking about whatever it was she was thinking – I swallowed and cringed inwardly – she was probably planning my flogging for what she perceived as my latest infraction. She'd accused me again of treating her like some 1950s wallflower in need of constant protection.

God, what a dickhead I was. Did I never learn how to deal with my wife – my pregnant, hormonal wife? Why couldn't I evolve more like Jasper had in recent times. Yeah, I know why. My wife was pregnant and his wasn't – that's why! Why is it that I was the bad guy for not wanting my pregnant wife – I'll say it again – _my pregnant wife_ wading into hand-to-hand combat even in a controlled training exercise. I huffed quietly in self-righteous victory knowing that in this situation I was not wrong, although, I conceded, it wouldn't hurt for her to know some defensive tactics. I decided to broach the subject with her today after lunch.

I'd cleared the air with Bella about my huge omission of the truth. I refused to call it a lie because I hadn't actually lied; I'd just neglected to say anything. However, Bella had quite rightly torn strips off me when she called me a hypocrite, saying that she didn't realize when she married me that I was going to be one of those husbands that expected his wife to do as he said …

"_This is not the 1950s, Edward," she'd spat, as she moodily folded clean laundry on our bed. _

_I'd sat on the edge of the mattress determined to talk sense into her after suffering through nearly a month of chilly, monosyllabic speech; cold glances – when she could be bothered to look at me – and the yawning divide in our bed that I'd failed to breach except when we actually slept. We hadn't made love since she found out about Aro's blackmail and my – admittedly – huge error in judgment in hiding it from her, but not even Bella's anger with me could stop her traitorous, sleeping body from gravitating toward the comfort mine gave her. _

_Most mornings I awoke with her small body curled into my side, her rounded belly pressed against my hip and one hand resting against my stomach. I'd cherished those moments holding her close against me before she slowly woke and pulled away without acknowledging her position in my arms. The first few times it happened, I took great pleasure in the sweet flush of discomfiture on her face and in my arrogance, I made doubly sure she knew I was enjoying her failure to keep me at bay while she slept. I'd laid back in our bed, propped up against the headboard with my arms behind my head smirking at her as she gathered her clothes and disappeared to wash and dress for the day, mumbling acidly 'what a prick' just loud enough for me to hear as she slammed the bathroom door._

"_Edward, are you even listening to me?!" she'd shouted as she viciously shook the creases from a pair of jeans, one of the legs slapping me in the face as the stiff fabric cracked through the air. _

_Fuck! I'd howled silently as my eyes watered. Who knew denim could hurt so fucking much. I wiped my streaming eyes with the hem of my t-shirt while Bella ranted, completely unaware she'd almost taken my eye out. _

"_I am __**not**__ going to sit idly by while my husband makes all the decisions and does what __**he**__ thinks is best without any discussion or input from me. You've got some nerve, Edward. You reprimanded __**me**__ for thinking and acting independently when you've done exactly the same thing," she'd said, reminding me of her escapade with James after Rose's kidnapping. I shuddered in remembered terror when I thought I may have lost her before we'd even begun._

"_It's not the same thing!" I'd argued. "The threat was already here when you acted whereas I've had time to think of a way out –" _

"_Oh, it so is the same thing, Edward," Bella hissed, interrupting my righteous lecture. She threw a rolled up pair of socks at my head. It bounced off my forehead and I'd gaped at her stupidly in shock. "Stop turning this around on me, you shit! You hid something huge from me – from all of us – and after all of your endless speeches about working together and not keeping secrets for our collective safety," she parodied, taking the piss out of me. _

_My jaw clenched and I heard my teeth grinding as I flushed angrily. No woman had __**ever**__ spoken to me in such away before. They'd all fallen over themselves to please me so I'd keep coming back – at least until I shipped out to sea, and then they could brag that they'd dated Edward Cullen. She continued her castigation of my character until I finally broke. God dammit, I'd had enough!_

"_Isabella!" I roared, standing up to tower over her. To her credit she didn't back down one inch, standing toe-to-toe with me with her hands on her hips rebelliously. _

"_What?!"she snapped, her eyes glittering dangerously._

"_That's enough," I said firmly in my best Officer Cullen voice. "I'm sorry you think I lied to you, but I did what I thought was best at the time –"_

"_Bullshit!" she snarled. "You're a damned hypocrite, Edward Cullen, changing the rules to suit yourself whenever the notion takes you, and right now, I don't care to talk to you if the only thing coming out of your mouth is one worthless excuse after another!" _

_With that final invective, she'd abandoned her laundry folding and flounced from our bedroom, slamming the door behind her. I'd stood there wondering what the hell had just happened. Picking up the empty plastic laundry basket, I hurled it at the wall and turned my back, completely missing its perfect bounce off the bamboo wall until it slammed into the back of my head and I flew across the bed._

"_Fuck!"I screamed as I rolled off the other side and landed on the floor, flat on my back._

_I laid there, clenching and unclenching my fists and grinding my teeth. Not even the pounding of two sets of feet as Emmett and Larry burst into my room was able to penetrate my rage. They stood over me as I stared up at them through a red mist wondering if I could take them both on and release some of this fury that had taken up residence inside me, seemingly out of nowhere._

"_I told you not to piss her off," Emmett lectured, leaning down to help me up. I scowled, but took his outstretched hand and sprung to my feet._

"_She's completely unreasonable," I complained as I rubbed the back of my head. My hand came away with a smear of blood from where the sharp, plastic rim had scratched my scalp._

"_Hey, dude, you're injured," Emmett said, stating the obvious, and I rolled my eyes at his brilliant deductive powers. "You must have __**really**__ pissed her off. What'd she hit you with?" he chortled._

_I flushed. "A pair of rolled up socks, but I did this all on my own. I threw the laundry basket at the wall and it fought back," I told him._

"_At least the socks were soft," Emmett remarked, not the slightest bit sympathetic. "Rose threw a bottle of shampoo at me once and that shit hurt like a son of a bitch," he said, rubbing the back of his head in recollection._

"_Do ya want me to get Dr Pops?" Larry asked. "It might need stitches," he said gleefully, "and I can help." He rubbed his hands together eagerly and I shivered uncomfortably._

_Larry had recently developed a macabre delight in all things gruesome and had taken to dissecting dead bugs and sea creatures with one of Dad's scalpels. Dad kept locking them up, but somehow, Larry found a way into the locked cabinet. He always took the same scalpel and he never touched anything else in the office. Just last week, Mom had found him in her pristine laundry about to begin an autopsy on a dead rat he'd found using one of her stainless steel serving trays as an operating table and a white cloth napkin as a surgical sheet. She'd screamed like a banshee and sent him to his room for the rest of the day and I still don't know what made her scream the loudest – the fact that there were rats on the island or that Larry was using her best serving ware and linen in his experiments._

_I glared at him darkly. "It does __**not**__ need stitches, and you stop with the Jekyll and Hyde shit – it's creeping us all out," I hissed._

_Emmett chuckled and fist bumped Larry. "C'mon, bro, lighten up, will ya. Larry's just doing what all kids do. Don't you remember that dead frog you found in the pool when you were nine? You decided it would make the perfect science project and you set up your autopsy room on Dad's desk dressed in one of his lab coats and a surgical mask. He caught you just as you were poised over the poor dead thing about to make the first incision with a paring knife. You couldn't even hold the knife properly 'cause the gloves were too big and were hanging off your fingers." He shook his head and chuckled. "Man, did you ever get into trouble. Mom grounded you for a week for playing with a knife, and Dad took you to see a real autopsy at the vet hospital. You came home looking as green as the frog you tried to dissect."_

_I shuddered in remembered revulsion. "Yeah, that experience turned me off becoming a doctor for good. But," I said, pointing a superior finger at them both, "it also taught me that it takes skill to dissect a creature – you can't just go hacking at it, even if it is dead!"_

"We're here," said Bella softly, interrupting my memories. The pathway had changed from firm and compact to soft and sandy without me even realizing it until we were walking down the beach toward the water. "What were you thinking about?" she asked me as I released her hand and lowered the basket to the sand to spread out the picnic blanket.

I flushed. "Um, our argument the other day," I admitted quietly, "and Larry's recent fascination with surgery."

She shuddered. "Ew, yes. You'd think he was twelve the way he's been carrying on. Every time he goes exploring, he comes back with something dead and decomposing. It's starting to turn my stomach, especially the smell."

"Yeah, I know. Mom makes him scrub his hands and under his nails with soap and hot water every time he comes within six feet of her. I saw him skedaddle out of the kitchen side door yesterday just as Mom came in and saw him raiding the fruit bowl. Dad thinks he's doing all the things that he was never allowed to do when he was a kid – he's playing catch up."

"I think he's bored," Bella offered instead. "Rose hasn't had any time to continue his lessons since Mia was born and I haven't had much time to spend with him either, though his grasp of the Hawaiian language is pretty good. He's surprised the hell out of me, to be honest," she said, giggling.

"You're probably right," I agreed, ecstatic to see her smiling and happy. "At least in part, anyway. I think it's more likely a combination of both. Spending some one-on-one time with Jasper today will be good for him. They'll spend the afternoon fishing and they took the coit set he got for Christmas, so they can have a game on the beach –"

They looked at each other and grinned. "While Alice sunbathes in solitude," they sang in unison, parroting Alice's much repeated phrase over the last twenty-four hours.

"Yeah, she's exhausted from all of the cooking on top of her other chores," Bella said. "I feel a tiny bit sorry for her because I know how much she hates it, but she's been a real trooper about it."

"Her skill has certainly improved," I agreed with relief. "Jasper reckons that if she can master cookery on our stone, wood burning cook range, then she shouldn't have any problems using a state-of-the-art gas range when we get home to Honolulu."

Bella smirked. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Alice said she foresees her forgetting all unnecessary skills as soon as they're no longer needed. Once we get home, her idea of making dinner is ordering off the menu at _La Mer_ while she sips five hundred dollar champagne and gets waited on hand and foot by cute men speaking _Parisian_ French."

I snorted, quite sure that Alice's vision of the future would prevail over Jasper's prediction any day. She was sometimes a bit fey in that way. Bella slipped into speaking about life after Isabella Island as a certainty rather than a vague possibility while we talked. We all had been lately ever since Alice told us about a prophetic dream she'd had.

Alice said she dreamed that the Volturi would be destroyed and the event would be the catalyst for major change in our lives, but she said the Volturi wasn't the source of our rescue. Her dream had been shrouded in shadows and fast moving images that she could barely comprehend and they faded just as quickly when she woke. All she was sure of was that something big was coming and it would be soon and not all of it would be good.

"Are you hungry?" I asked Bella as she lowered herself to kneel on the blanket covered sand.

"Hmm, yes, starving. What about you?"

I shrugged. "I could eat."

"Good, because we have a feast packed into this basket – lots of leftovers and some new dishes I made when I helped Carlisle with his tasting menu for Esme."

I flinched at the mention of my parents, especially my mother. She'd been loving and kind to me as she always was, but I knew she was just as pissed with Dad – and probably with me to a lesser extent – as Bella was with me. I should have apologized to Mom this morning in the garden, but the moment was lost when we both had to get ready for our respective plans. I didn't want to rush my apology to my mother or my wife – they both deserved better from me – Bella had made me see that when I'd sought her out following our argument …

_I'd crept onto the front verandah where Bella was slowly rocking in a bamboo rocking chair after Emmett and Larry finished bawling me out for fucking up – again! I stood looking shamefaced at her face in profile as she wiped angry tears from her cheeks._

"_You can be a real asshole sometimes, Edward," she sniffled quietly._

"_I know," I replied apologetically. I walked over to kneel at her feet in supplication. "I'm sorry."_

"_For what?" she asked, glancing at me with disdain. "For being an asshole, or for lying to me for months."_

_I gritted my teeth. Bella certainly wasn't making this easy for me. "For being an asshole … and I'm not sorry for protecting you from the ugliness in my life. I will always try to shield the people I love from harm and that includes any information that might terrify the hell out of you," I said quietly._

_Taking one of her tightly clenched hands in mine, I stroked the soft skin with my calloused thumb. "Please try to understand, Manulani," I whispered. She blinked and stared down at our hands, her face softening slightly when I spoke her Polynesian name. "You and our baby mean everything to me – everything! Do you understand? You … you're my entire world. I don't care about myself. I only care about you. If anything ever happened to you, I wouldn't want to exist anymore. When James shot you, my heart stopped when I thought the evil bastard had stolen you from me and I'd never have the chance with you that we have now."_

_I squeezed her hand and she sniffled, wiping her teary eyes with her free hand. I levered into a crouching position and sat on the edge of the round coffee table, looking up at her flushed face. She wouldn't look at me and I sighed._

"_To keep you safe I will do anything necessary to protect you and keep you from harm. When," I gulped compulsively, "when Aro threatened to take you and our child away if I didn't cooperate, my heart turned to stone. It was like James all over again and I couldn't go through that for a second time. I decided then to sacrifice myself to save you and our child."_

"_You could have told me some of it, Edward; tried to explain what happened. Isn't that what the government always does – tell the population just enough so they know what's going on, but not enough to make them panic," she said, her voice croaky from crying. "Don't you know that I feel the same way about you – that I would sacrifice myself for you and our child? You're not alone in feeling this way. Your parents feel the same way; so do your brothers and their wives. _

"_There is so much love in this family, Edward that it spills over into the air and nurtures those around us – look at what being an adopted Cullen has done for Larry; he's thriving. Look at what it did for me. You all embraced me and made me fall in love with you all – you most especially. You protected me from James not once, but time and time again – on the boat, when they first came here and then when he kidnapped Rosalie and shot me._

"_The love this family has for each other," she laid her open hand over the place on my chest where my heart was thumping frantically, "that's why Aro targeted you and Carlisle – he saw what would cause the most agony for everyone. Killing us would be too easy, but taking some of us away – ripping our love asunder – that is what would be the living death from which none of us would ever recover."_

_My own tears coursed down my cheeks as I listened to Bella's impassioned speech. I leaned forward to hug her close, pulling her up so I could sit in the rocking chair with her cuddled on my lap. We rocked softly in the warm air, the silence broken only by the sound of our sniffles and the creak of the rockers against the floor. Burying my face in the curve of her sweet smelling neck, I mumbled words of love and apology. _

"_I'm sorry, Bella, I didn't know ... I –"_

_She leaned back to look into my eyes. "How could you not, Edward? There isn't one person in this family who wouldn't lay down in front of a bus if it meant saving another, but we've also proved that united we are strongest. Please, Edward, you have to understand how wrong it was of you to keep something this big from me – from all of us."_

_She leaned down to kiss my mouth gently. "You have to stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, baby. It's not your job, not here. We listen to you, because of your navy training and skills, but you don't get to make decisions for all of us – you don't get to make important decisions for me," she said resolutely._

_I lifted my head back to look up at her. She was remarkable – so strong and capable and fearless. She'd take on Aro Volturi herself if it was the only choice to be had and I said as much, reminding her that I had only done what she had before._

"_Bella, you would do the same thing – you __**have**__ done it. How can you hate me for doing what I did?" I begged her to understand._

_She sighed. "Oh, Edward, I don't hate you, you silly man. I love you, but my situation and yours are completely different and you know it. You and Jasper were gone exploring the fishing village; Emmett was unconscious and Rosalie had been kidnapped. I had very little time to decide on the best course of action to save her. And by the way, I've already apologized for my singular actions on that matter and I don't think it's fair of you to keep bringing it up to excuse your own behavior," she admonished firmly._

_I flushed, knowing she was right and I was grasping at straws trying to defend my actions. But I was right, as well. I know I was! Yes, I'd harangued my father into going along with me when he'd wanted to confess all to the family and come up with a plan together, but I wanted to work out a solution on my own. Dammit, I wanted to atone for everything that had come before._

"_But-but it's all my fault, Bella – everything!" I yelled as I reared to my feet with her still in my arms. She yelped at the sudden movement and I settled her gently in the rocking chair, and then commenced pacing the length of the verandah._

"_What is your fault, Edward?" she yelled back in exasperation._

_I slid my hands through my hair to fist its shaggy length tightly. "Everything!" I screamed. "Being boarded by the Volturi pirates and getting us ship wrecked. What type of sailor am I if I can't even sail us to a populated island? I failed to protect you," I reminded her shrilly on a half sob. "You nearly drowned and then you nearly died when your lungs began to fail. I almost got you killed falling into a volcanic cavern; I couldn't stop James from shooting you," I said, counting the offenses off on my fingers. _

"_That pervert Alec wanted you, and I don't know if I could have stopped him if Aro hadn't sent him away." I bent over at the waist as the thought of Alec's depraved interest in my beautiful wife made me sick to my stomach. Gasping for breath, I willed the nausea away and stood tall once again. "And then Aro decided that he wanted me, but that he'd take you instead if I didn't agree to go quietly when he returned," I said quietly._

_Bella stood and walked over to me. She brought her hands up to stroke my face, collecting my tears against her finger tips. I didn't realize I was crying. "Edward, none of that was your fault. None. Of. It!" She repeated forcefully and slowly. "Do you hear me? None of it," she countered, her lips against my mouth. "And far from causing any of it, you saved me, each and every time. If it wasn't for you, I would have died before we even found this island. You're my hero, Edward. Don't you know that? I thank God every time you come to my rescue." She kissed me. "I thank God that you love me as much as I love you." Another kiss, this one slightly longer and deeper. "I thank God for the child we've created from our love. I thank God that you are smart and determined and wily, and most of the time," she smiled, "I thank God for your wisdom."_

_I looked away, refusing to accept her praise when I knew the truth._

_She sighed. "You really are masochistic, aren't you, my love? Your mother told me you were, but I didn't believe her."_

_I looked back at her reluctantly and grimaced apologetically. "Um, yeah. I was worse as a teenager. I cost my parents twenty-five grand in therapy. Mom despaired of me ever getting over it, but I eventually did – mostly – until this island," I admitted. We were silent for long minutes, while I mulled over everything that she said. I called on some of the techniques I'd learned more than a decade earlier to push aside my masochistic tendencies, finally coming to a compromise I could live with._

"_I'm," I coughed, "I'm sorry, Bella. You're right, I should have told you what was going on – a sanitized version of it – but the truth none the less. Please say you forgive me and that you'll be patient with me. I can't promise I won't ever do it again, because any time you're threatened, my protective instincts rear their head." She raised her eyebrows at my indirect apology and I hurried to clarify. "But I will try to do better if you'll help me. I need you to remind me sometimes that secrets are destructive. I need you to call me out on my shit like you have recently." I pouted. "But I don't like being on the outs with you in bed. I've missed you," I told her sulkily, rubbing my groin against the V of her legs below her rounded belly._

"_Oh, Edward, you really are a boy, aren't you?" she'd said, giggling into her hand. She stopped laughing at my expense long enough to say dryly, "Your apology could use some refinement, but I get what you're saying and I accept that you are sorry in your own way. Just know, Edward Cullen, that I __**will**__ call you out on your shit and if you __**ever**__ keep something like this from me again, I will call Larry and his scalpel into service and he will dissect your ass until you can't sit down for a month!"_

_I swallowed and blanched at the thought of my ass being crisscrossed with jagged scalpel cuts, and the subsequent lines of tiny, itchy stitches holding them closed._

"_C'mon you big baby, let's go take a nap," Bella said with a suggestive wiggle of her brows. I followed along eagerly, my hand held in hers._

…

**Bella's POV**

"Here you go, Edward; feast on that," I said, holding out a loaded plate. It was almost groaning under the weight of the food: cold ham, slices of cooked goat meat, shrimp, lobster, potato salad, jungle salad and chicken. He reached out to accept it, but did a double-take pulling his hand away in disbelief.

"No way," he breathed softly. "I must be delirious."

I giggled as he stared at my offering and then at me. Taking pity on him, I smiled and nodded at his pleading face. "It's real," I promised, "take it." I laughed when he almost fell onto the plate in his eagerness to claim the prize.

"Roast chicken!" he gasped, tearing into the succulent flesh of the crisp drumstick.

I held his plate, watching his obvious enjoyment of the treat. The last time we'd eaten poultry was at Thanksgiving when we'd eaten the wild turkeys Emmett and Rose had caught.

"When, how?" he asked between licking his fingers clean. He'd striped the bone of every scrap of the delicious meat.

"Yesterday," I answered. "Carlisle killed and dressed two of the males for me. The chicks are plenty big enough for eating and they're not much use for laying eggs being, well, male," I said flippantly. I giggled at the expression on Edward's face as he moved to protect his junk.

He snorted and took the plate I offered so I could eat my own lunch. There was another piece of chicken on his plate – this one the thigh bone and he put his sharp teeth to efficient use, groaning with each mouthful.

"Do we all have chicken for lunch?" he asked, as I nibbled on my own roasted thigh. _Shit, I was a good cook! This was fucking delicious._

"Yep, except Esme and Carlisle. He's saving their portions for dinner tonight. He planned something else for their lunch today."

His face fell. "So there's no more when we go home?"

"Nope, not until Carlisle or Jasper kill another two chickens, which won't be for a couple of weeks. We have to make them last despite what we know is coming," I reasoned.

He pouted and eyed the half eaten thigh on my plate and the thick slice of breast meat I'd taken for myself. I smirked to myself as I made him sweat it out. I knew that I wouldn't eat all of my own portion and I had every intention of giving him half of the chicken on my plate. Using the silverware I'd brought, I carved off a piece of the breast meat and loaded up my fork with the meat and potato salad. Edward's eyes were fixated on my fork as it traveled from my plate to my mouth. He was almost drooling while he watched me eat and his gaze only broke when I reached up and snapped my fingers in front of his face.

"Sorry," he mumbled, flushing brightly as he stared distastefully at the cold goat slices on his plate.

"Don't you like goat anymore?" I asked him slyly.

He shrugged. "It's alright," he grumbled.

Smirking, I decided I wanted a drink to chase my lunch down. "Edward, would you get me a glass of iced tea from the basket, please? It's in the gourd flask," I told him.

"Sure, baby," he said, setting his plate aside to turn around and rifle through the basket. While his back was turned, I transferred the rest of my chicken to his plate. "Here you go, sweetheart," he said handing me a glass of the sweet tea tinkling with melting ice-cubes. "Those gourds are great insulators – the tea's nice and cold."

"Hmm," I agreed. "Nature does very well at providing what we need if we just use some imagination."

Edward picked up his plate to begin eating again, but he stopped with his fork poised over the chicken where the goat used to be.

"Bella," he chided. "This is your meat. You and the baby need the protein. I was just being a sulky brat before." He tried to fork it back onto my plate, but I stopped him with a held up hand.

"No, Edward, it's fine. I took more than I knew I would eat. I just wanted to tease you a bit. I'm happy with my other meat and seafood. You eat the chicken. Please, Edward, I want you to," I said when it looked like he would argue.

He looked torn for a moment, but finally relented gratefully when I forked chunks of lobster into my mouth groaning in delight over the succulent, sweet, white flesh.

"How come you're so good to me even when I'm being an asshole?" He mumbled around the fleshy thigh bone in his mouth.

"Because I love you and you're _my_ asshole," I told him possessively.

He leaned over and kissed me, transferring chicken flavor to my lips. "How did I get so fucking lucky?" he asked reverently.

…

We finished our lunch and packed the remaining food away before walking down to the waves lapping at the shoreline to rinse our greasy hands. Wiping them on our clothes, Edward offered me his hand and I took it as we strolled along the beach under the afternoon sun.

"So," I said taking a deep breath, "are we going to talk about our latest argument?" I asked softly, when it seemed that Edward was determined to remain silent.

He sighed. "Yes … Um, I don't treat you like a 1950s wife, do I? he asked me sulkily.

I cocked a brow of disbelief in his direction. "Yeah, you kind of do," I told him, "and the chivalrous parts of it I like, so it's not everything – it's just the '_Isabella, do as I say'_ or the _'Isabella, I'm not asking you' _or the '_Isabella, I'm only telling you what you need to know' _attitude that I get pissy with you about."

He flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, um, yeah, I can see how that might piss anyone off, but in my own defense, you know why I do it … did it," he corrected and I nodded. After a moment, he cocked his own questioning brow and asked about the chivalry that I said I liked.

I felt myself blushing. "Um, you know, I like it when you hold open a door for me or pull out my chair. I loved it when you made me a new comb because my plastic one got broken, and when you help me into the dinghy – it makes me feel special."

Edward looked astounded. "Well, I'm glad, Bella, but all of those things are just good manners that any well raised man should demonstrate. My father raised me and my brothers to treat women – especially our women as special. I don't think of those things as being 1950s," he quoted with raised fingers.

"Yeah, well, no one has ever done any of that for me before. You and your dad and brothers are the first." She shouldered me teasingly with her smaller frame. "You all must be rubbing off on Larry, because he's doing things like that now. He rushes to open the door for Esme whenever he sees her coming."

He smiled. "Yeah, he's really coming along as a person," Edward remarked. "I wonder what will happen to him when we get off this island."

I shuddered. "I hope the authorities don't blame him for the actions of James and Vivi – thank God she's still in custody. Do you think … um, do you think that they'd let him stay with us? With the Cullen family, I mean," I asked, chewing on my lip worriedly.

Edward's eyes widened in shock. The idea had never occurred to him. "I don't know and to be honest, I haven't thought about it. Where did that come from anyway?"

I shrugged and pouted, kicking at the sand with my bare feet. "I just worry about him, Edward. He's not a bad person; just misunderstood and mistreated. I don't want to see him end up in jail or in a facility again because the authorities don't know what to do with him."

He pulled me comfortingly into his body with his arm around my shoulders as we walked. "I tell you what, Bella, I can't promise anything, but if – when – we get rescued, I will do my very best to make sure that Larry is treated fairly and I know my father will do the same."

"Thank you, Edward."

"You're welcome. Now, about you learning to fight, I've reconsidered –"

My face lit up and I wriggled around on the sand excitedly, while clapping my hands ecstatically like a performing seal.

Edward reached out and stilled me with his hands on my shoulders. "Stop channeling Alice, will you? It's disconcerting," he said grinning.

I nodded my head vigorously, but otherwise stopped wriggling around like a litter of puppies.

"Okay, if you are agreeable, I will teach you some self-defense tactics you can use to free yourself from an assailant."

I squealed and leapt into Edward's arms. I really didn't know how I did it, considering how unwieldy I'd been feeling lately, but I dismissed it as unimportant and kissed his face all over.

"Thank you, thank you. You won't regret it."

He laughed, his arms stretching around my body to support me under my butt as my legs curled around his waist and my arms curved about his neck. He squeezed my ass gently with his large hands and pushed his hips against my eager pussy – I was feeling horny.

"I hope not," he said, smiling and then his face turned serious. "You have to do what I say, Bella, and I'm not being a 1950s tyrant by saying that either. I'm only going to teach you moves that will be safe for you to execute while you're pregnant. Are we in agreement?"

I nodded. "Yes. Yes! Can we start now?" I asked eagerly.

He laughed again and turned around to head back to our picnic blanket, holding me in his arms. Every step he took caused his hardening groin to rub against my swollen and wanting pussy. I was wet for him in just moments and I moaned.

Edward heard and smirked knowingly. "Yes, but wouldn't you rather practice a little nookie?" he sang into my ear. He knelt down on the picnic blanket with me still in his arms and I nodded my head eagerly, as I tore at his shirt buttons to remove it.

"I knew you'd come to your senses," he whispered, as he lowered me to the sand. He sat back between my legs and wrenched his shirt open, the buttons flying everywhere and I whimpered at the sight of his broad, strong, sun browned chest.

"Oh, Edward, I have missed you." I whimpered as he unbuttoned his shorts to reveal his rising need for me. I reveled in his desire for me and mine for him.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you baby," he said, leaning over to kiss me. His tongue slipped between my lips and he ravaged my mouth as I returned his passion and pulled him closer. I couldn't seem to get enough of him. My body craved his like it did water or oxygen.

"The last few times with you weren't enough … not enough," I groaned as I felt his hands pull the t-shirt stretched over my stomach up my body and over my head leaving me clad in a too tight bra. My boobs were getting huge! Edward grinned as he cupped them in his hands.

"I love your tits, especially now," he gasped as he fumbled around behind me for the bra catch.

Growing impatient, I pushed his hands away to do it myself before my swelling boobs split the seams and my distended nipples burst through the lace. Once it was loose, Edward pulled it off me and flung it aside. I was vaguely aware of the wind catching hold of it and stealing it away as I ground my aching boobs against Edward's chest.

_Oh, well, I guess I'd have to track it down later. Right now, I had more important things on my mind._

"Lay back," Edward begged. "I want to suckle them."

I groaned and felt a rush of wetness between my thighs as my body responded to his words. Edward latched onto one of my aching nipples and suckled first gently and then firmly while massaging my other boob in his hand. My hands clutched his head as his tongue laved every inch of my breasts. I felt the sensation of his hot, wet mouth all the way to my clit and my hips bucked against his hard groin involuntarily, looking for friction. Releasing my hold on his head, my hands skittered down to the button and zip of a pair of my husband's shorts that had been temporarily altered by Alice to fit my growing body. Humping against him, I tried to get Edward to lean back so I could get the shorts off, but he kept grinding against me, looking for his own friction.

"Edward, Edward?" I gasped.

"Huh?" he snuffled in return, his face buried between my tits. He was so deep between them, all I could see was the upper rise of his cheekbones and I let loose a giggle. _He was such a boy._

"Take them off … our clothes," I begged him.

He grunted and reared back into a kneeling position. He grasped my shorts and panties and pulled, wriggling back on his knees until he could slide them over my legs and off my feet. He stood up quickly and stripped his own shorts off, allowing his magnificent dick to stand proud and ready to enter me. He knelt between my spread legs and I reached out with my hands to take hold of him and stroke the precum over the head and down his shaft, making his eyes roll back in his head. He groaned and fell over me, catching himself with his palms on the sand either side of my body.

"Slow down, baby, or I'm not going to last," he begged me.

Good. I didn't want him to take his time. I wanted him to ravage me. I wanted him to fuck me stupid until I screamed so loudly they'd hear me in Honolulu. I was so lost in my own desire for him, that I knew it wouldn't take much for me to climax.

"No," I gasped. "Fuck me now," I demanded.

He groaned. "Jesus Christ, Bella, are you trying to kill me?" he moaned, but he rolled over onto his back and took me with him so I was straddling him.

Fantastic! In this position, I could control the pace and the pace I wanted, no – needed, was fast and furious. I wanted him to thrust inside me like an out of control freight train and I intended to get what I wanted. Lifting my hips, I took hold of his dick and positioned myself over him. I was so wet, I dripped all over his dick, coating him in my juices before he was even inside me. He gasped and his cock flinched as my heated fluid scorched him. He reached out to stroke my dripping, pulsing pussy, but I shook my head, on a mission he would _not_ distract me from.

"But I want to touch you," he whined.

"Later," I gasped, lowering myself onto him. The sensation of him filling me to the hilt made my eyes roll back in my head and I stilled for second or two while my body adjusted and then I began to move on him, grinding and rolling my hips until he was as deep as he could possible go.

"Okay, baby, whatever you want," Edward whimpered, bucking into me. He reached with one hand to grip my hip and help guide my movements, while his other hand slipped between my folds to find my swollen clit rushing me toward my first orgasm.

"Oh, God, Edward! What are you doing … ugh, don't stop," I begged incoherently, as his talented fingers thrumbed my clit and his absolutely enormous cock slammed into me just like I wanted.

"I won't," he grunted.

"Oh, yes," I gasped, as I bounced on him, up and down, up and down in tandem with his relentless thrusts until I thought my pelvis might shatter. "I'm coming," I moaned after only mere minutes. I reached up to hold my breasts, pinching and rolling the nipples.

"That's it, baby, go with it," Edward encouraged.

"I'm coming, Edward, I'm … ugh, ugh, ugh … UGH!" I screamed out my release as it rolled through me, travelling along thousands of nerves until the excess energy seemed to shoot out of the tips of my fingers and toes leaving me exhausted. I collapsed over my magnificent husband with a grin of absolute bliss spread across my face.

"That was the best, baby, thank you," I whispered into his perspiring, heaving chest.

His chest rumbled as he guffawed. "You're welcome, love," came Edward's proud, smiling voice. "Do you mind if _I_ finish now, sweetheart?"

I giggled, feeling him rock hard inside me as I jiggled around him, my vaginal muscles still milking him gently. "Not at all." I laid bonelessly over him, barely able to move. "Have at it, baby," I said, and he did, bringing me to another fiery climax before he reached his own.

…

**Carlisle's POV**

As the afternoon waned, I woke up with my precious wife and unborn daughter asleep in my arms. For the first time in many months, Esme's features were relaxed and her lips were curved into a happy smile.

I laid there for awhile longer thinking about the ECV I did not want to perform, but which I felt was probably inevitable if my wife was to safely deliver our fourth and final child. If our daughter could not be turned, or God forbid, if she should flip again into a breech position, then I would have no choice but to perform a Caesarian section. In such unsanitary conditions, I would never choose to perform preemptive surgery, but I was realist enough to know that it may yet be necessary.

I prayed that the Volturi would not return before my child was born, lest the worst happen and I be forcibly taken. I was confident in many of Bella's medical skills – she'd been the perfect student – but she did not have the surgical skill or knowledge to perform an unassisted Caesarian delivery.

Slipping from the bed, I dressed quickly and kissed the top of Esme's head before walking quietly downstairs to prepare dinner. I wasn't the greatest cook, but I could hold my own well enough to make a simple dinner for my family. Rolling up my sleeves, I washed my hands – well, scrubbed them really, since ingrained habits were hard to break – and set to work, pulling cold meat, cooked seafood, salad ingredients and fruit from the refrigerator.

I noticed the light was off in the appliance, and though the air felt cold, I couldn't hear the hum of the compressor. Quickly closing the door, I reached to switch the kitchen lamp on and nothing happened.

"Shit!" I muttered, striding up the few short steps into the dining room. A few moments later, I had deduced that we were without power since none of the lights, ceiling fans or appliances worked.

"The batteries must be dead," I decided. Grabbing a flashlight from the kitchen pantry, I went outside to the generator shed and opened the door to check them. They'd worn down so that none of them collectively or singularly held enough juice to power even a low energy ceiling fan. I checked the fuel level in the generator, topping it up with about half a gallon of diesel, before I started the sequence to ignite the valuable piece of equipment.

Its value was not monetary, not to us. Its value was in the electricity it produced that made our lives easier. Much of my medical equipment relied on the precious power source and I more than any of us would be severely restricted without it. I could almost hear Emmett and Larry's howls of grief when they realized there'd be no more television if there was something seriously wrong with the generator.

"Come on, come on," I muttered, coaching the cantankerous generator to burst into life, but other than a tepid croak when I pressed the start button, it refused to cooperate.

"Fuck IT!" I hissed as I shut the generator down. "You piece of shit! What good are you if you won't work when you're supposed to," I griped, haranguing the hapless piece of machinery. Throwing my dirty rag to the side, I headed inside to prepare dinner, since there was absolutely nothing I could do to fix it. I'd just have to wait for Rosalie and Edward to return and hope they could get it working again.

I quickly checked on Esme who was still sleeping soundly before I returned to the kitchen to slice, chop and mix together a veritable feast while planning how best to circumvent Aro's nefarious plans for me and my family.

I made plans to harvest some Hawaiian Poppy for the sap. We could use it as a poison on spear tips, in consumables such as food or drink and as an injectable in syringes – I'd been keeping the used ones, sterilizing them thoroughly in case I ever needed to reuse them. The only problem with my poison idea – actually, it was Bella's original idea if truth be told – was that I didn't have an antidote if the poison was turned on us by our enemy or if it was ingested accidentally.

I was keen to experiment with Esme's tin-can phone idea. Since we recycled everything, there was a basket of clean cans of varying sizes in the laundry room and I decided we should try other items that might amplify sound such as large conical shells and even gourd drums. I knew from childhood that the maximum range was no more than about five hundred feet, but if we spaced the phones out around the compound and between other keys points such as the grotto and the ruins, they would allow us to communicate secretly if we got separated.

Shoving the bowl of fruit salad in the slowly warming refrigerator with the other dishes I'd prepared, I hurried to my office for a notepad and pencil to jot down my thoughts, stopping briefly to light the candles in the front entry hall to welcome the kids home and light Esme's way if she came down the stairs.

It wasn't long before I heard Esme stirring in the room above my office, and I left my notes to hurry upstairs with a lit candle so she wouldn't have to shuffle around in the dark.

"Esme?" I called softly as I entered our bedroom.

"What's wrong with the lights?" she asked me sleepily as she sat on the side of our bed. Placing the candle on the bedside table, I sat beside her, kissing her forehead gently.

"The batteries are dead and I can't get the generator started," I told her. "I've prepared dinner and the kids should be home soon, but you've got time for a shower if you'd like one," I suggested. She looked a little hot and her skin felt clammy as she leaned against me.

"Hmm, yes, I'd love one. Will you join me?" she invited.

I grinned. _Hell yes!_ "Absolutely. I've left candles burning downstairs and the kids can set the table without my help. What would you like to wear, Maisy?" I asked, opening our bamboo closet.

She rubbed her face, yawning widely as she coaxed herself to wake fully. "Um, there's a blue sarong dress that Alice made for me – I'll wear that."

I pulled it out, together with a clean pair of shorts for me and a loose cotton, button-down shirt. Esme grabbed clean underwear for both of us and we shuffled into the bathroom to shower beneath what turned out to be the last of the hot water.

The kids were going to be royally pissed. _Oh, well._

…

When Esme and I walked into the dining room, the kids were home. Emmett and Larry sat in the living room staring petulantly at the dark television screen while Alice nursed a sleeping Mia in her arms, rocking and singing softly to the sleeping baby. I peeked into the dining room to find Bella and Jasper setting the table and lighting candles to eat by.

"Where are Rose and Edward?" I asked.

"Trying to fix the generator," Emmett said sulkily. "I promised to grow a tit if she could get it working again."

Larry sniggered while Esme, Alice and Bella rolled their eyes, but I saw their secret smiles as they laughed silently into their hands. Jasper excused himself quickly to the kitchen where he guffawed loudly, sliding down the rough rock wall as he laughed himself silly. Even I had to admit that the shit coming out of my eldest son's mouth was downright funny a lot of the time. He was our comic relief.

"How the hell did we let the batteries run down and not notice the generator was on the fritz?" Emmett moaned, asking no one in particular.

"Who knows, but we did and it is," I said firmly. "Hopefully, Rose and Edward can get it working tonight long enough to charge the batteries while we take if off line to service it. It's been running pretty much non-stop for six months with just minor attention to keep it working. I'm surprised it's lasted as long as it has," I remarked.

"Jasper, can you call Rose and Edward in for dinner? We've things to talk about over our meal."

He came to the door between the kitchen and the dining room. "Sure thing, Dad, but they probably won't come in."

"I'm not giving them a choice," I said. "We need to talk as a family. They can take an hour off to eat. Tell them it's an order, if you have to."

"Okay," he said, walking away, "but they're not gonna be happy."

"I don't care!" I yelled after him. He lifted his hand in an acknowledging wave as he disappeared into the laundry. The door slammed as he headed outside to the generator shed.

"Ladies, come into the dining room and sit down," I invited, escorting my wife to the table. Bella took her typical seat, while Alice laid Mia into her cradle just outside the dining room door where she could be attended to during dinner if needed. "Larry and Emmett, you can help me bring the food to the table," I said as they were both mid-sit over their own chairs. They grumbled, but moved without further complaint when I turned a glacial stare in their direction. We were taking the last of the platters, bowls and pitchers of juice to the table as Jasper came back with a scowling Edward and Rose.

"What the hell, Carlisle!" Rose yelled. "I nearly had the damned thing going until your messenger boy here ordered us back to the house."

Edward opened his mouth to support Rose's stance, but he closed it again with a crack of colliding teeth when I snapped, "That's enough, Rosalie Cullen. The generator can wait for an hour. We did without power for months when we first got here, so it won't kill us to wait another couple of hours. Now wash up for dinner, both of you. We're ready to eat."

She flushed and turned silently to the sink, running the water and lathering up her greasy, diesel soaked hands. Edward followed her silently and I nodded in satisfaction as I strode up the steps and into the dining room to take my place at the head of the table. When my last two children were seated, I said grace and I offered the platter of meat to my wife, pointing out the chicken portions I'd saved for her while the children served themselves seafood and salad.

Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she realized that she would be eating roast chicken for the first time in close to a year. "Oh, Carl," she gasped happily, stabbing the breast meat and then a drumstick with her fork. "This is almost better than sex," she sang around a mouthful of tender white flesh.

My four sons choked on their food in response to their mother's brazen remark. I sniggered and forked my own portions before handing off the platter, watching Emmett and Larry greedily search for more chicken. They sighed in disappointment before making another selection and soon everyone was eating. When the meal was over and the dishes and food cleared, I called the family meeting to order.

"Today, your mother said something to me that was the most profoundly sensible thing I've heard since this mess with the Volturi began," I announced. I met the solemn eyes of each of my seven children. "She said that the only ones who would save us from the Volturi are us, and I agree with her. We need to defend ourselves from any further attacks and that means neutralizing any enemies before they can hurt us."

Edward coughed, his eyes wide. "Neutralize?"

"Kill," I clarified, communicating silently with Edward. He'd been the first all those months ago to suggest a more, shall we say, proactive approach to dealing with our enemies. He nodded in understanding, realizing what a big concession this was for me.

"Thank God!" caroled the girls. Their husbands looked at them in shock.

"What?" piped up Alice. "We're fed up being victims for every asshole who comes along."

"Yeah," agreed Rosalie. "I have Mia to think about now. I'm not going to lie back and take any more shit. I want my little girl to grow up feeling safe whether that's on this island or back in civilization."

"I agree," said Bella supportively. "After everything we've been through and the very real threat Aro made against my husband, I'm putting my fight face on and I'm not backing down this time."

"That is so sexy, babe," Edward said to his blushing wife as he leaned over to capture her mouth in a kiss. I was very pleased to see them actually talking to each other again. "I'm in," said Edward decisively.

Jasper, Emmett and Larry had yet to say anything and I looked each of them in the eyes separately. "What about you three?"

"I'm in," said Jasper, squeezing Alice's hand.

"Me, too," Emmett said, leaning over the table to fist bump Jasper.

"Me three," Larry parroted, though I was slightly worried that he didn't really understand what he was agreeing to.

"Good. This is what we've got so far –"

I took them through the details of my poison plans. Bella nodded in agreement offering to help me, but I declined firmly, not wanting her to come into contact with any type of poison no matter how careful I knew she'd be. I made her promise not to touch the Hawaiian Poppy and she agreed.

"Okay, your mother had a brilliant idea and I really think it could work. If it does, it might be the difference between our success or failure."

"What is it?" Jasper asked, smiling at his mother.

"Tin-can phones." Our children's faces were comical in their varying degrees of incredulity, until I launched into my explanation that is, and then they turned hopeful, remembering their own childhood games with the simple but effective contraption. "Okay, what else?" I asked my rapt audience.

"Coconut bombs," Edward suggested, "filled with gun powder and projectiles. The ingredients are found on the island and I've experimented with it before – it was pretty powerful stuff," he said, blushing furiously under his mother and his wife's steely glares, and Bella's vicious pinch to his arm. He scowled at Bella, but she only cocked an unsympathetic brow. By God, she was a perfect match for him.

"I thought you only experimented with that ancient pirate gun powder?" Esme said shrilly, to which Edward only shrugged, not in the least apologetic.

"Gourd bombs filled with diesel fuel," Jasper offered, removing the unwanted attention from his younger brother. "They're basically firebombs. We can plant both bombs on the beaches as a type of mine that we can detonate using long fuses."

"Yeah, and we can throw some at the bad men," Larry said quite clearly. His speech impediment had almost disappeared as he adjusted to speaking with missing front teeth. "I saw it on the telly."

"Yeah, what show was that, Larry?" Jasper asked.

"Swiss Family Robinson. I love that movie. They was like us, 'cept they lived in a tree house. Can I have a tree house, Dr Pops?"

I laughed. "We'll see, Larry. Maybe for your birthday." He cheered and grinned happily, counting the months until his birthday on his fingers.

"Okay, what else?" I asked. The conversation continued for another half an hour, with ideas flying thick and fast, before Rose and Edward excused themselves an hour later than they'd planned in order to work on the generator.

"C'mon, Edward, let's get this beast purring," Rose said, and stood up. She leaned over to whisper in Emmett's ear and fondled his chest, making him blush furiously. "Come get me if Mia wakes up for a feed," she said kissing her daughter on the forehead before leaving.

Rose dragged Edward out by the shirt, ripping his lips from Bella's as he kissed her goodnight. She decided to head off to bed, as did Esme, both of them looking weary and fed up, while Jasper and Emmett resolved to come back and continue our discussion once Alice was settled with Mia for the next few hours.

I helped Esme upstairs, with Larry volunteering to escort Bella to her room on his own way to bed. He was rather sunburned and I advised him to have a cool shower and drink lots of water before he retired for the evening. He said he would, hugging Esme, Bella and Alice goodnight and laying a gentle kiss on Mia's downy head before disappearing into his bedroom.

As my family departed in different directions for the evening, I inhaled deeply, breathing out slowly and as I did, a heavy weight lifted from my chest. United, we stood strong. United, we would be invincible.

We were going to win this – I could feel it in my bones.

…

A/N: Happy New Year and I hope everyone had a merry Christmas.

Turning a baby in the womb is called an external cephalic version or ECV. It has been done by midwives and doctors for thousands of years, and it is generally considered to be safe, if somewhat uncomfortable or painful for the mother. In developed countries, the procedure is usually undertaken in a hospital and the mother is given drugs to relax the uterus and ease the pain. I imagine that in some undeveloped or developing countries, where medical assistance in remote areas is scarce, that the procedure is still carried out by the local midwife and the mother must endure without drugs.

_La Mer_ is a French restaurant in Waikiki, celebrated as one of Hawaii's finest, though I can't speak from experience, never having eaten there.

For anyone unfamiliar with the word _fey_, it comes from Middle Ages English circa 1390 and derives from the old French word fae, which means fairy. The English word _fey _means having or displaying an otherworldly, magical, or fairylike aspect or quality; and/or having visionary power or clairvoyance. Anyone who reads Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse/TrueBlood fanfiction will be particularly familiar with both fey and fae.

I stole a couple of descriptive phrases from another Twilight fanfic story I've read called _People Like Us_. I won't point the phrases out unnecessarily, but I did want to give credit to the original author since she may read this story and recognize them. Every time I've read her story, these two phrases make me smile and I've always wanted to use them, so thank you JustGinger.


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